Innocence Lost
by ChetCheerio
Summary: Everything is changing; people with abilities are disappearing. Peter recieves a cryptic message from Claire before she is kidnapped. A plot is uncovered. Will Peter and Claire be able to stop it? And who is behind the disappearances? ON HOLD
1. A Plan in Motion

**Me: Bonjour, mon ami! This is my first story, so PLEASE be nice. Reviews are welcomed.**

**Peter: You'll do anything to get reviews.**

**Me: No I wouldn't! I wouldn't kill anyone.**

**Peter: Sure. Can you say you've never been tempted?**

**Me: Well, not exactly.**

**Peter: Point made.**

**Me: Shut up.**

**Peter: Make me.**

**Me: *sticks tongue out***

**Peter: Oh, that's really mature.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes (though I wish I did)**

_Peter Petrelli_

_New York City_

Peter unlocked the door to his apartment, his expression depressed. Another jumper had committed suicide; it was the third in just five days. He had become a paramedic to help people, and when people took their own lives like this it made him feel powerless and worthless.

Once inside, Peter threw his workbag onto the couch and changed clothes. The paramedic uniform was scratchy, and he felt more comfortable as he slipped on a pair of loose cargo shorts and a plain t-shirt. He noticed that there were a few messages on his phone's answering machine, so he played them while he made himself a quick cup of coffee. The first was from his friend Gus, asking if he wanted to go to the bar for a beer that night. Peter chuckled as he heard the message; Gus knew he didn't drink, but the goofy man never gave up hope that one day he would persuade him to try a couple of beers.

The next one was from Claire. She sounded… out of breath? Like she was running from someone. Or something.

"Listen, Peter, I don't have much time," she panted. The machine made her voice scratchy, but even through the device he could sense the fear behind her words. "You have to get out of New York. They're after you, and they almost have me. Just get out of the city, Peter, and stay away from your brother. He's going to-"

Suddenly, there was a scream from the machine, and he heard many indistinguishable noises. Peter froze in shock as he heard what sounded like a muffled gunshot, and then a scream of pain. He leaned against the table that the machine rested on, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge.

"Grab her," he heard a cold voice say. And then the message ended.

Peter was shaking. Someone had kidnapped Claire. Why? And how was Nathan involved in this?

He grabbed his coat from where it rested on the arm of a chair and threw it on. Throwing open the door and not bothering to close it again, he ran into the hallway and literally jumped over the staircase's rail, using his regenerative powers when he hit the floor to recover from the impact that would've broken any normal human being's legs. He used Daphne's speedster ability to run out of the building swiftly, throwing the papers on the entrance desk up into the air.

He dashed through the streets of New York, traveling so fast that he was only a blur to the normal humans' eyes. Startled passerby looked over their shoulders as they saw him pass in the form of a streak.

He didn't know where he was going, only that he had to rescue Claire. And his only lead was Nathan.

And to get to Nathan, he'd have to run all the way to Washington. Instead, Peter decided to fly, and with a great leap up into the air he flew high into the air, going supersonic in the blink of an eye.

_Mohinder Suresh_

_New York City_

Mohinder glanced over his shoulder at the man that slid into the back of his taxi. The man was balding, and wore a gray business suit.

"Please take me to Kirby Plaza," the man instructed, and Mohinder put the taxi into motion, sliding into the traffic of the early Saturday morning. The taxi driver inwardly smiled. Kirby Plaza, where the Petrelli brothers had resolved their differences and saved New York. Of course, it had mainly been Nathan saving the city since Peter had been the radioactive bomb.

Mohinder's grip on the steering wheel tightened when he thought specifically of Nathan. That man refused to see himself as a person with powers; because of his powers being grafted into his genes, he saw himself as nothing more than a test subject used to prefect the method of giving normal people abilities. He hated himself; no, he loathed himself. And he took out his anger on those who had gained abilities through natural selection.

As he pulled the cab up next to the plaza, the man slid out after paying his fee. Mohinder was tempted to just park the taxi and put the "On Break" sign on the dashboard. But he was also just content to sit there in the driver's seat and wait until another passenger gave him directions.

The back door to his taxi opened, and Mohinder looked in the rearview mirror to see a familiar face in the back of the taxi.

"Mrs. Petrelli," he said, starting up the cab. "I must admit, I did not expect to see you here."

"How has your research been, Dr. Suresh?" the older woman asked.

"I have… put a halt on my father's theories. My ambitions have changed since I've come to America, and since I lost Maya."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Have you heard anything out of Peter?"

Mohinder smiled. Peter had become a close friend over the last few months. "Yes. He is doing very well. He's a paramedic now, right?"

"Yes. Many of his colleges can't understand that he chose the job to help people rather than to be paid well."

"That's Peter. Always the caring one." Mohinder pulled the cab into the traffic, asking where she wanted to go.

"Take me to the mansion," the old woman said. "I have spent a long morning out on the town, and I am tired now."

Mohinder nodded and drove through the suffocating traffic to the Petrelli mansion. It was the largest building in the vicinity and not hard to find. As the older woman was paying her fee, she looked at Mohinder with such a fierce expression that he would've asked her what was on her mind if she hadn't talked first.

"Be careful, Mohinder," she said before exiting the cab, leaving the man very confused. "And don't align yourself with the wrong people."

Mohinder watched her disappear inside the huge mansion she called home, and then he drove back to his own apartment. He would brood over her words, and the meaning behind them.

_Hiro Nakamura & Ando Masahashi_

_Tokyo, Japan_

Hiro could feel it. Something was wrong. There was a kind of aura about the city that spoke of disaster. The hair on his neck prickled.

Ando was beside him, looking at him strangely, trying to decipher his thoughts no doubt.

"Hiro, what's wrong?" he asked finally.

"Something bad is going to happen," Hiro murmured. He knew there was something wrong.

The Japanese man's eyes widened as he saw something fall out of the sky. Grabbing Ando and taking advantage of his friend's ability to amplify his own powers, Hiro teleported them to a hill on the outskirts of the city. And the two watched as a plane fell from the sky, smashing into one of the many skyscrapers of the city. A fire broke out, and it began to spread.

The two men watched as the city they had been raised in burned like an inferno. There was a hiss, and something landed on the ground next to them. Ando picked it up, dusting off the soot that covered it.

"Hiro, look at this," he said, holding up a piece of green metal. It said 'eject before crash.'

"What does it mean?"

Did it mean that the plane was meant to crash in Tokyo? Hiro didn't know, but if he had to guess, the answer laid in America. He told Ando his thoughts, and his friend agreed. Touching Ando's shoulder, Hiro closed his eyes and felt the familiar rush that came with teleporting.

_Nathan Petrelli_

_Washington, D.C._

Nathan rubbed his forehead. This job was becoming more and more stressful; they'd demanded that he allow Claire and others he knew to be caught. Who were they going to ask for next, his mother?

"Sir, there's someone here to see you," his secretary, a pretty redhead, said.

"Who is it? If they're not important, send them away."

"It's your brother, sir."

Nathan looked up. "Send him in."

The woman nodded and in a moment Peter was standing in the doorway, his face angry and distrustful. Nathan stood up from his seat behind his desk, moving forward a little.

"So, why'd you decide to just come and pay me a visit?" he asked. "Coming down here all the way from New York. Must've taken a while, huh." He paused, and then continued. "Unless you used Daphne's power, of course."

"Or yours," Peter said coldly. Nathan was surprised; his brother never acted like this. "Don't play dumb, Nathan. I've learned to look past your poker face. You set up her kidnapping, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Claire was late last night. She mentioned you in the voice message she left on my answering machine before they took her. I heard the whole thing. I know you're responsible, Nathan. I know you're out to get people like her, like me, like us."

Nathan eyed his brother. "I've been in Washington for the past four months. How could I have set up the kidnapping of someone in New York?"

"I know you have connections. And I know you aren't as wonderful as you make yourself look."

Peter stepped forward threateningly, angry blue flames licking at his palms as he released his pyrokenetic ability. His dark eyes were furious. "You call yourself a savior of mankind," he hissed. "You're not even a man. You, brother, are a coward."

Nathan had had enough. He calmly flipped a switch on a device on his desk, and within seconds a dozen or so men came flooding into the office, tranq guns at the ready. Peter used his pyrokenesis to burn one, his telekinesis to throw another two across the room and out the paned windows on one side of the office, but before long he was shot with a tranq and lying on the floor of the office, unconscious.

"Are you alright, Mr. Petrelli?" one of the men asked as he injected the unconscious man on the floor with a serum that would suppress his powers.

"Yes, I'm unharmed." Nathan looked down at his brother, and then kneeled next to him.

"See, Peter, powers aren't all they've cracked up to be," he whispered, more to himself. "They make you a threat to mankind, and they don't help you when you truly need it." He then stood up again, straightening his suit. "Take him to the containment building," he instructed as the men hauled his unconscious brother out of the room. "Make sure there's no chance of his escape. He's one of the most dangerous you'll find."

Nathan closed the door to his office as soon as the last man was through, and then he smiled. His plan was now in action.

**Me: Oooooh….. cliffy**

**Peter: You were so mean to me.**

**Me: It's just building up the drama. Don't worry, you'll be okay. Maybe.**

**Peter: Gee, that's really assuring.**

**Me: I try.**

**Once again, please review. I won't continue with this story until I get 1 review.**

**Until next time, see ya!**


	2. Phone Call

**Me: Hello! It's ChetCheerio here!**

**Peter: Really? We could've never guessed. *rolls eyes sarcastically***

**Me: *glare* Soooo, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I've gotten the review I asked for. (plus more!! Whoo-hoo!!)**

**Peter: Obviously, since you're continuing with the story.**

**Me: So, anyway, here's the next installment of 'Innocence Lost'. Hope you enjoy it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Heroes. But I'm still working on it!**

_Matt Parkman_

_Las Vegas_

Matt woke up to the sound of a shower being used. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Daphne was gone and that the door to the bathroom was shut. He sighed and shut his eyes again. He'd been so paranoid lately, and he didn't know why.

That was why he had come to Las Vegas. He'd felt like something horrible was going to happen in New York, but he masked his worry for Daphne's sake. He had told her that they should just go on a vacation, and his perky girlfriend had said that she had always wanted to go to Las Vegas. Without a second thought, he had agreed and they had packed their bags.

Now they were staying at a run-down hotel on the edge of the city. They'd been here for three days now; as far as he knew, nothing had happened in New York to be concerned about. So where had that un-ignorable, uneasy feeling come from? He didn't know, but somehow he still wasn't confident enough to go back. Daphne liked it here, so he figured that he could keep her here for a while.

Matt's cell phone started ringing, and he picked it up.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Matt, where are you?" The voice was muffled slightly, as if the speaker wasn't right next to the phone and had it on speaker.

"Who is this?"

"It's Mohinder."

"Oh, well, I'm in Las Vegas. How're things in New York?"

"Not good, I'm afraid. Some of my contacts in the city have mysteriously disappeared. And I can't get a hold of Peter or Claire either."

"Do you think something's happened?"

"I don't know. But I've been having a strange feeling the past few days. I've been feeling… like something horrible is about to happen."

"Me too. Have you been able to contact anyone?"

"No. It's almost like everyone with abilities just disappeared off the face of the earth. It's odd."

"Do you think Nathan has anything to do with it?"

"I'm almost sure he does. His mother took a ride in my taxi this morning and told me basically that a war was coming. Nathan is a self-loathing hypocrite, and I doubt that he would hold back from unleashing the anger he has at himself at the rest of the gifted world."

"So does that mean everyone with abilities is being targeted by him?"

"We don't even know if he's targeting people."

"I bet he is. Once, he talked about rounding up people with powers. He said he'd take them to some laboratory on an island, where they couldn't escape, and try to find some kind of 'cure'."

"A cure for evolution?" Mohinder scoffed. "Who does he think he is? And how could he be so incredibly stupid by putting himself at risk?"

"He doesn't see himself as a person with abilities. He sees himself as a victim because of his powers being given to him artificially."

"Yes, well, if I could give that man a piece of my mind-"

Through the phone, Matt heard a door being broken and heard men's indistinguishable voices. He heard Mohinder cry in pain, and then heard a shuffling as if a body was being dragged away. And then the phone was dead.

_Gabriel Gray_

_San Francisco_

Gabriel tapped the top of the stirring wheel, waiting impatiently for the light to turn green. The traffic in this city was horrible; no matter where you looked, you saw cars. The air was polluted, so Gabriel couldn't even roll down the window to cool himself off. The air condition in his car was broken, and the man was sweating in the hot air. He decided never to visit a city this crowded unless it was absolutely necessary.

His eyes traveled warily to the hidden security cameras on the sides of buildings. It amazed him how easily normal people lived their lives while they were constantly being watched by the government. Although he had given up his killing ways, Gabriel was a wanted man. He needed to be careful when there were so many cameras around.

He looked at the sheet of paper that lay on the passenger seat beside him. On it was an address, his destination after his tiring road trip written on the wrinkled white paper in a lazy black scrawl. What awaited him at this destination he wasn't sure, but he could tell by instinct that this wasn't a trap.

The note took him to a run-down crack house. It was old and the roof and walls were filled with holes; it was obviously not a habitable residence. Gabriel was on his guard as he entered the building; though he knew it wasn't a trap, he didn't know what kind of person could be inside.

As soon as he entered the building, something crashed into him from above. He twisted as someone wrapped arms around his neck in a strangling hold, and using his telekinesis he threw his attacker against the wall.

"Who are you?" he asked, eying up his opponent. It was a young woman with tanned skin and brown hair braided down her back. She had fierce brown eyes that glowed with defiance as she stared him down.

"Why should I tell you?" she growled. "This is my place. I should be asking _you_ what _your_ name is."

"My name is Gabriel Gray."

The woman stopped struggling. "Gabriel?"

"Yes. What's it to you?" Gabriel closed his fingers tighter, making his telekinetic grip around the woman's throat tighter.

"I sent you the letter that brought you here. My name is Theresa."

Gabriel cocked his head. "You're Theresa Collins?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, and I summoned you here concerning the Rebellion."

"Rebellion?"

"Against those who hate people with abilities."

Gabriel moved closer to her and released her from his telekinetic grip.

"Tell me more," he breathed.

She smiled up at him. "Gladly."

_Hiro Nakamura & Ando Masahashi_

_Las Vegas_

Hiro glanced around him. It was fairly late in the city, and the casinos were packed. Ando ran his hand through his hair, his eyes shifting between passerby and the great neon signs all around. The duo had only been to Las Vegas once, to steal a sword, and they were still unfamiliar with the area.

"Hiro, why did you bring us here?" Ando asked. "What's so special about this city?"

"I don't know. It was just the first place that came to my mind when I thought of America."

Ando shrugged out of his jacket and slung it over his shoulder, liking the feel of the cool desert air. He secretly didn't mind being back in Las Vegas; he liked the lights and the noises because they reminded him of home… before the plane crash that had made the city into a raging inferno, that is.

Hiro began to walk toward one of the casinos, fishing through his pockets for an ID. Some sixth sense told him that he had to go into this casino; it was like a message from Destiny.

He showed his ID and as soon as he stepped into the casino, he headed for the snack bar. He hadn't realized how hungry he had been until now; perhaps watching the city you've always called home does that to you. Ando ordered a piece of pizza while Hiro tried a type of sandwich he had never heard of before.

As the two were eating in one of the booths, a couple near one of the slot machines caught Ando's eye. The girl was short and skinny, with short blonde hair. She was leaning against a much taller, much more heavyset man with short dark hair. They were laughing together, though Ando thought the man's laughs were not as sincere as they could've been.

"Hiro!" he said, realizing who they were.

"What is it, Ando?"

"That couple, over by the slot machines. It's Daphne and Matt!"

_Claire Bennet_

_Containment Building_

Claire groggily opened her eyes, her eyelids heavy with sleep. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was leaving Peter a message on his phone, and then the men that had ambushed her in the alley. She remembered seeing the tranq dart sticking out of her shoulder, and feeling the darkness engulf her. And then… nothing.

When she tried to sit up, she found that she couldn't. She tugged at her wrists, but only found that they were bound in leather cuffs. She strained and strained, and only succeeded in cutting her wrists. But, for some strange reason, the wounds did not heal. The skin did not knit back together like it usually did; it just stayed open, and the pain didn't go away.

_They probably gave me some drug that suppresses my powers_, she thought. Letting her body go slack, she lay back down on the gurney she was strapped to. She would need to come up with a plan of escape, a way to get out of wherever she was being held.

The door to the room she was being held in opened, and she watched as two men in white lab coats, followed by four men with tranq guns, wheeled another gurney into the room. There was a white sheet over the figure on the gurney, obscuring his face, but she saw that his hands were bound to the rail of the bed with steel cuffs.

"Looks like this one's woken up," one of the scientists said, motioning to Claire. The girl's eyes narrowed, and she strained against her straps again. She felt so vulnerable being bound like this, unable to use her hands or her powers.

The scientists didn't pay her a second thought as they wheeled the new gurney next to her own. One of the scientists injected something into the prisoner's arm, obviously some drug to keep him from using any powers he had. Then, the white sheet was removed and the men left just as suddenly as they had arrived.

Claire's new neighbor was a man in his early to mid-twenties. He had dark hair, and stubble was just beginning to show on his chin and cheeks. As she looked at him, his eyes fluttered open. As soon as she saw those dark eyes, she knew who he was.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Peter?" She was hoping against hope that it wasn't him, but in her heart she knew it was true.

He looked at her, and his eyes widened. "Claire?"

**Me: Yay! Another chapter is done! *does a little victory dance***

**Peter: You look so stupid doing that.**

**Me: Oh well. Maybe I am stupid. You got a problem with that?**

**Peter: Possibly.**

**Me: Hmph… anyway, I would like to thank the people who gave me reviews. This story wouldn't be possible without you guys, and it made me feel extremely proud that you guys (and girls) really liked it that much. But I would like to specially thank ****sarahroseserena**** for ****leaving such a wonderful review and commenting on my profile. You rock, and you made me feel loved!**

**Peter: Don't get a big ego, Chet.**

**Me: Shut up. Anyway, thanks so much peoples!**

**Peter: So, the story's going to be continued, right?**

**Me: Of course! I couldn't disappoint my readers like that.**

**Anyhow, my request on reviews still stands. Please review! It lets me know how well I'm doing with my writing and what changes I should make. Plus, you can leave anonymous reviews; unlike most authors, I don't care whether you have an account or not. Just review! *points pleadingly at review button* It helps make me a better writer. And I'll take suggestions for future plot events too!**

**Until next time, toodles!**


	3. Rebels

**Me: Yippee! Another chapter is finally up!**

**Peter: …**

**Me: C'mon Peter, aren't you going to say something? *pokes him* Nobody likes a grump.**

**Peter: …**

**Me: *sigh* Anyways, here's the third chapter. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Heroes. But I do own Theresa and her Rebellion! (Except for Gabriel Gray, of course) So I guess I'll be content in owning them until I can buy Heroes from NBC.**

**A/N:: Oh, and just so you people know, in my fanfic Peter and Claire are NOT RELATED. That leaves room for Paire! Yay!**

_Gabriel Gray & Theresa Collins_

_San Francisco_

Gabriel followed Theresa into the basement of the crack house. When they got to a bolted steel door, the young woman knocked on the door. The door opened, and she led Gabriel inside.

"Welcome to the Rebellion," she said.

Gabriel couldn't keep the impressed grin from dominating his lips. The entire area under the crack house and the buildings around it was hollow. From the streets above, you would've never guessed that the ground beneath the crack house harbored the headquarters for an underground rebellion.

The entire place was like a natural cave. There were computers set up on tables and the complicated weapons stored on racks on the walls gave the place a military look. It was obvious that the Rebels were professional mercenaries and knew what they were doing.

"This is Base Camp," Theresa said, nodding at a young boy as he walked past carrying a box of grenades. "There's enough ammunition in here to blow up the city."

"Impressive," Gabriel said, his eyes sweeping the cavern.

"I guess, but what really makes us a threat is our powers. With just our powers alone, we could take on an army and win, even though there are only a little over a hundred of us."

"What kinds of powers do your fellow Rebels have?"

"All kinds. We have telekenetics like you, pyrokenetics, healers, fliers… heck, you name a power and one of our members probably has it."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your power?"

"I can manipulate metal. Steel's the easiest to work with, but I can control any type of metal, natural or unnatural."

"That's quite a gift."

Theresa shrugged. "It's alright, I guess," she said. "But sometimes I wish I could do cooler stuff, like paint the future or something."

"I once knew a man who could paint the future," Gabriel said, thinking back to the day when he'd murdered Isaac Mendez in the painter's apartment. "He was a drug addict."

"Hmph." Theresa led him to a door and opened it. Inside was a cot, nothing else.

"Sorry it's nothing glamorous," she apologized. "We've been having a steady stream of new recruits lately, and all the other bases are packed to overflowing. This one's nearly overcrowded now too. We're trying to set up a new base in Jersey, but the local authorities keep getting in the way and holding up the project."

"It's fine," Gabriel said, depositing his coat on the cot. "Really. I'm used to having unglamorous living conditions."

"Worse than this?"

"Sometimes."

Theresa smiled and left Gabriel to his new room. The man lay down on the cot, his hands behind his head and his eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling. He smiled absently.

He was going to like it here.

_Hiro Nakamura, Ando Masahashi, Matt Parkman & Daphne Millbrook_

_Las Vegas_

"Matt! Daphne!" Ando practically shouted their names in the crowded casino. Remembering Matt's gift, he sent out a strong thought of _'MATT! It's me, Ando!'_

This seemed to catch his attention. Matt looked up from his game at the slots and immediately spotted Ando and Hiro. The two Japanese men contrasted sharply with the majority crowd in the casino.

Daphne saw them too and gave Matt a confused expression. Sure, she knew Hiro and Ando, but what were they doing here? This was their vacation! They just wanted to be left alone.

Matt seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Hiro, Ando, what are you two doing here?"

Hiro looked uncomfortable. "We don't know ourselves," he admitted somewhat sheepishly. "When we teleported to America, this was the first place I thought of. And so we ended up here."

"Say, have you two heard from Mohinder? Or anyone else with abilities?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

Matt looked around uncomfortably, and then whispered, "Listen, meet us in our hotel room in half an hour. It's in the East District, called the Rustic Inn, level seven, room thirteen. I'll explain there. It's too public here."

As soon as Ando and Hiro were out of hearing range, Daphne grabbed Matt by the arm. "What are you doing, Matt?" she asked. "This is our vacation. We're supposed to be relaxing and having a great time. And so what if they haven't heard from Mohinder or other people with powers? What difference does it make?"

"Listen, I should've told you, but on our third day here Mohinder called me on my cell phone. He said he was getting a strange feeling that something terrible was going to happen. And then, he got kidnapped."

"How would you know? You couldn't see him!"

"Maybe not, but I heard men dragging off his body right after I heard a gun go off. I could tell it wasn't an immediately fatal shot because Mohinder said something before he was taken away."

"What did he say?"

"I don't know. I couldn't make out his words."

"Matt, this is crazy. This is why we left New York!"

Matt felt guilty for not telling her why they really left the city, but he kept his mouth shut. Now wasn't the best time to reveal secrets. So he kept silent until it was time to meet Ando and Hiro in their hotel room.

The two Japanese men had gotten there first and were waiting in the hallway when Matt got off the elevator, a very frustrated Daphne at his side. Though she loved him more than anything, sometimes she got fed up with him, always so secretive. She had just wanted this to be a normal, healthy vacation to a place notorious for helping people escape their old lives; there was no hope for that anymore.

When the four were in the room, with Hiro and Ando sitting on the room's scruffy sofa, Matt in a chair and Daphne on the bed, Matt cleared his throat.

"So, you're sure you haven't heard a word from anyone with abilities for a while?"

"Yes," Hiro and Ando answered at the same time.

"We haven't heard a thing from Dr. Suresh since the incident at Pinehearst," Ando added. "Is he doing alright?"

"Unfortunately, no, he's not. He was kidnapped." Matt's eyes dropped to the ground.

"What?" Hiro asked. "Are you joking us?"

"I wish I were."

"But why would someone want to kidnap him?"

"He has an ability, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. Super strength."

"Isn't just having a power enough of a reason? I was kidnapped by the Company once because of my telepathic powers." He rubbed his temples agitatedly.

"Are you saying that the Company is up and running again?"

"No. This threat is much worse."

"Do you know who this threat is?"

"Yes. It's that backstabber Nathan Petrelli."

"Flying man?"

"Yes."

"But why would he do that?" Ando demanded, red sparks flying from his fist. When he got angry, his power tended to flare up. "Why would he betray his own kind, his own people like that?"

"Who knows his ambitions? But we have to stop it. Before anyone else gets hurt."

"Matt?" It was Daphne, the first time she had spoken since the casino. She was watching him with wary eyes. "Is this why you asked if I wanted to go on vacation? Because you were afraid of something bad happening?"

Matt's eyes stayed downcast. "Yes."

Daphne nodded. She probably would've done the same thing for him. She let this slip into her thoughts so that Matt could read them privately, and he looked up at her in relief, glad to know that she wasn't angry with him.

Daphne stood up. "I guess we're going back to New York. Right?"

Matt nodded, and both Ando and Hiro had determined looks in their eyes.

"New York, here we come," Ando said, cracking his knuckles.

_Claire Bennet and Peter Petrelli_

_Containment Building_

"Claire?" Peter asked. She nodded, and he slumped back onto the gurney he was strapped to. At least he'd found her… though now he was a prisoner as well.

"Peter, oh my God, they got you too." Claire sounded scared as she whispered, like a lost child. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He craned his neck to get a better look at his surroundings. "Do you know where we are?"

"No. I was tranqed in New York, and then I woke up here. But I think they're keeping other people prisoner here, too."

"What would make you think that?" Peter asked, testing his abilities. Nothing worked. "Stupid drugs," he muttered under his breath as he strained determinedly.

"I can hear people crying sometimes. Or I hear screams." She shivered. "It's horrible to listen to them suffer like that, Peter. I want to help them, to do something, but I can't."

Peter glanced at Claire. She had tearstains on her cheeks; who could these people be, to make an innocent girl cry? It was downright monstrous. He wanted to make whoever had hurt Claire pay for it.

"How long have you been here?" he asked her.

"About twelve hours."

He nodded and went to staring at the ceiling. "Do you know why they're keeping us here?"

"No." She sounded almost like a ghost; her voice held none of the spirit and courage it once had. "I'm scared, Peter."

"I won't let them hurt you, Claire," he growled, straining against his bindings even harder. Seeing her like this broke his heart. "I swear, I won't let them touch you."

She gave a quick nod, though she knew he would never be able to keep his promise in this place.

The door to the room opened again, and three men with tranquilizer pistols entered the room. The two prisoners were released, their cuffs opened to reveal their bloody wrists. Two of them grabbed Peter from the gurney and forced him to stand on wobbly legs. One of them grabbed Claire by her wrist, and together the three mercenaries led their captives out the door.

"You two are lucky," one of the men said as he led them through another hall. "The room you were in is needed for a conference next week, so the boss decided to move you. You'll have a new roommate, and I think you know him."

Claire's eyes narrowed. Who could he be talking about?

Her question was answered as she and Peter were roughly shoved into a bland concrete room. There were three cots slid up next to the walls, and a musty smell hung in the air. She shivered involuntarily as the men left and she heard a lock slide into place.

On one of the cots, a man with dark skin and wavy black hair was stretched out, his legs hanging over the end of the bed. He was dressed in a sleeveless muscle shirt, and there was a blue button-up shirt under his head, obviously meant to be used as a pillow. The man looked at them warily.

"Mohinder!" Claire exclaimed.

**Me: Phew, okay, it wasn't my best chapter, but hang with me! It'll get better, I promise. And like I said, I'll take suggestions for future plot events. And remember to review! It makes me very happy.**

**Peter: Yeah, like you need to be any happier.**

**Me: Ah ha! He speaks!**

**Peter: It's not like I'm mute.**

**Me: You've been hanging around the Haitian too long. He doesn't talk much either.**

**Peter: So what? At least he's not completely insane. *muttering* Unlike someone we know…**

**Me: Hey! That was not nice. Don't make me go all rabid chipmunk on you!**

**Peter: Point made.**

**Me: *sigh* Whatever. You're just being a difficult grouch today.**

**Peter: Yep.**

**Me: *glare***

**As usual, I still want reviews. Anybody can leave a comment, though positive reviews are more welcomed. And there's going to be some Paire in the chapters coming up!**

**Au revoir! **


	4. Superweapons

**Me: I'm back!**

**Peter: No freaking duh!**

**Me: And guess what? I brought a new friend!**

**Peter: Great, another chatterbox.**

**Me: Say hello to Twin!**

**Twin: Hello! *smiles and waves***

**Me: So, Twin is going to be joining me every once in a while from now on. She's, like, my best friend in the world.**

**Peter: It amazes me that you can have any friends at all.**

**Twin: Oh my God, you're so mean!**

**Peter: What? At least I'm being honest.**

**Me: You're going to pay for that, Petrelli!**

**(Peter runs out of room, Twin hot on his heels)**

**Me: *sigh* Anyway, here's the fourth chapter. I guess I better go get those two back before Twin sticks Peter's head in a blender. She likes to do that kind of stuff.**

**Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes, but I do own the Rebellion (except for Gabriel Gray) even though they aren't in this chapter**

_Mohinder Suresh_

_Containment Building_

Mohinder was lying on his bed, his eyes closed as he contemplated his situation. Powerless, he was nothing more than the average prisoner in this place, wherever it was. He knew he wasn't in New York; he couldn't hear the sounds of cars moving anywhere, or the noise of rush hour. He could only guess that it was around five o'clock, but he had a feeling it was slightly later on in the day.

The door to his cell opened, and he watched from the corner of his eye as two people were shoved into the room. Were these his new cellmates? He wondered who they were, what their powers were.

"Mohinder!" When he heard his name, he bolted up to a sitting position, eyes wide. These people knew him? He couldn't see them well; the cell was dark, the only light being in the corner and close to burning out. But he could now see that one of them was a young man and the other a young woman, maybe even just a girl.

He squinted to see them. The man was tall, with dark hair and dark eyes, the beginnings of a stubbly beard on his chin and cheeks. He was wearing dark clothes, and his eyes were shifting around the cell, searching for any weaknesses that could grant an escape. The girl was shorter, with long blonde hair that cascaded down her back. Her skin was tan, much tanner than the young man's, and her eyes were a soft brown color.

"Claire? Peter?"

"Yeah," Peter said, moving closer to the cot, Claire at his side. Claire sat down on the cot next to Mohinder, and Peter leaned against the wall, resting his head on the hard concrete.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We were kidnapped," Claire said, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "You were too, weren't you?"

"Yes. I was ambushed in my apartment while I was calling Matt Parkman."

"Is Matt okay?"

"Yes. He's not in New York anymore. He took Daphne and ran. Do you know where we are?"

"Washington D.C." Peter said. "I'll lay money on it."

"Why are we here?"

"Because this is where my brother is."

To Mohinder, it made sense. Nathan had betrayed everyone with abilities; no doubt he would want to keep his prisoners nearby, to make sure they didn't get away and spread word of his activities. _The hypocrite_, he thought bitterly.

"Listen," Claire whispered. Mohinder and Peter fell silent, straining their ears to hear. They could hear… rasping? Yes, it was a raspy kind of sound, something that sent chills up Mohinder's spine.

"It's crying," the girl whispered, a tear streaking her face. "Someone here is suffering again."

Peter knelt beside her, pulling her head against his shoulder to comfort her. She sobbed into his shoulder, her entire form racking with the intensity of her cries. Peter's eyes flared dangerously; Mohinder would've been frightened if he hadn't been on the same side as the angry man. He could tell that Peter would not have hesitated if given the opportunity to kill the man who had caused Claire this pain, even if it was Nathan, who he had looked up to for years before the events of the last few months that had made them grow so far apart.

"It's okay, Claire, you're safe," he whispered to the sobbing girl on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, murmuring, "I won't let them hurt you" into her hair. She seemed to calm down slightly, and after a while her sobbing dwindled into the occasional tear.

Mohinder's fists clenched. Like Peter, he couldn't stand to see innocent people being hurt for no good reason. So what if they had powers? Did that really make them so different that they were no longer viewed as human beings?

The door to the cell opened, and Peter stiffened, not moving in fear of disturbing Claire. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes daring anyone to hurt the girl in his arms.

"It's okay, Peter," a voice said. "I'm not here to hurt Claire. I just need to talk to her."

Peter's eyes widened, and Mohinder stood up. The figure silhouetted in the doorway was tall, but other than that Mohinder couldn't make out much in his features. He squinted, taking in the suit, the polished shoes… and the horn-rimmed glasses.

It was Noah Bennet.

_Hiro Nakamura, Ando Masahashi, Daphne Millbrook & Matt Parkman_

_New York City_

Ando walked through the busy streets of New York next to Hiro. Slightly ahead of them, Matt and Daphne walked along in silence, their fingers intertwined. He felt glad that the couple found comfort even in a time like this, but he uneasy swept the vicinity for any threats. He could see none, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

"How much longer until we get to your apartment?" Hiro asked as Matt and Daphne turned down another street.

"It's not far now," Matt said, not bothering to look back at the two Japanese men following him. He felt troubled inside; why were so many people disappearing, all at once?

When they were finally in the apartment fifteen minutes later, Matt invited his visitors to sit down while he made sandwiches. Daphne went into the other room to change, and Hiro and Ando made themselves comfortable.

"So, do you think any of the others are in New York?" Hiro asked.

"I don't know," Matt answered truthfully, setting a plate of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches down on the coffee table and pulling up a chair. "Like I said, I haven't heard from anyone in a while."

"I know someone who will know what's going on!" Ando exclaimed, suddenly thinking of her seemingly out of the blue.

"Huh? Who?"

"Angela Petrelli!"

Matt mentally smacked himself in the forehead. Of course! She would know everything about what was going on, and if she refused to tell them willingly then he could use his powers to get the answers they needed. Nathan wouldn't keep his own mother in the dark, after all. She was one of his most important allies.

"So, what's up?" Daphne asked, loping into the room with her unique swinging gate. She was wearing a black camisole under a loose zip-up hoodie, and her shorts only went halfway down her thighs. She was dressed for a run; it was obvious that she didn't want to do anymore teleporting that day.

"We're going to pay Angela Petrelli a little visit."

Daphne smiled, revealing her bright white teeth. "Sounds fun."

_The Bennets_

_Containment Building_

Noah watched Claire carefully. She was sitting across the table from him, her hands on her lap and her eyes staring at him with obvious, seething fury.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked him.

"Claire Bear, I'm sorry for what's happened to you. I tried to get them to let you go, and I'm still trying."

Claire tilted her head, her eyes distrusting. She hated to hear his pet name for her in this terrible place; it brought back too many memories, both good and bad. "Let me repeat," she said coldly. "Why did you bring me here?"

"To talk."

"I don't believe you." She thought for a second, and then continued. "So, why are they imprisoning us like this?"

Noah cleared his throat. "The government believes your abilities can be of more… use."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Haven't you figured out by now that only certain people with powers are being rounded up?"

Claire's eyes narrowed. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm being held captive by whack-jobs. News from the outside world doesn't really reach me in here."

"Claire, please don't make this difficult. I brought you here so I can hopefully answer a few of your questions."

"Fine, then. Start answering my questions. How could our abilities be used by the government?"

"You, Claire, are immune to any physical injury. Mohinder Suresh has superhuman strength. Peter Petrelli can absorb others' abilities, giving him the power to virtually do anything. Can't you imagine how these powers could be used in the military?"

Claire could imagine it, but that didn't mean she wanted to. It scared her to think of a future full of people with abilities that would only use them for war, for killing people. An army of superhumans used to assassinate people… it was a frightening thought.

"What are you going to do to us?" she asked quietly.

Noah sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what they're planning for you. Technically, I'm not a part of this project. Senator Petrelli was nice enough to grant me a visit with you. But if I had to guess, I'd say that they would experiment on you, test your abilities' limits, clone your genes maybe. After that, I'm not sure. The formula to give normal people abilities was destroyed, so maybe they'll try to rebuild it. I honestly don't know."

There was a knock on the door, and a man in a white lab coat entered the room, looking at Noah sheepishly. "I'm sorry sir, but your visiting time is over. Senator Petrelli is closing the building down for the night."

Noah nodded and stood up. "Claire, stay strong," he told his daughter. "Just know that your father is trying as hard as he can to get you out of here."

Claire glared at him. "You're not my father, _Noah_," she spat, making the name sound like an insult. "You're not the person I trust around here."

Noah walked to the door, a sad smile on his lips. "I suppose not," he said as he paused before walking out of the room. He'd always loved Claire, but hearing her disown him so coldly made his heart feel like it would shatter. "After all, you'll always have Peter."

And with that, he was gone, leaving his daughter to be dragged back to the cell she shared with the others.

_Micah Sanders_

_Denver, Colorado_

Micah Sanders looked down at the slip of paper in his palm. It was a piece of paper from a phonebook. Only a few hours ago, he'd been getting off the Greyhound bus that had brought him to Denver all the way from Tampa, where he'd been living with a foster family. Now, he was standing in front of the house that matched the address on the paper.

Swallowing, he knocked once on the door. There was no answer. He knocked again, and finally he heard someone moving on the other side of the door.

The door opened, and a blonde woman stood in the door. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a bright yellow blouse with a pearl necklace and a navy skirt. She looked exactly like his mom, only more formally dressed.

"Aunt Tracy?"

_Angela Petrelli_

_New York City_

Angela was reading by the light of the dying fire, her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she read the words on the yellowing paper. This had been Arthur's favorite book at one time, before he had gone bad. Reading it made her feel like he was still alive and still on her side.

As she heard the front door being opened and heard four sets of footsteps running toward the library, she didn't even flinch. She quietly laid the book down on the table beside her and put her hands in her lap, waiting nonchalantly for her intrusive visitors.

They were there in what seemed like merely a few seconds. Her eyes followed them as they spread out in a semicircle in front of her.

"Angela, we need to talk," Matt said, always the one to get straight to the heart of the matter. He gently probed through her mind, but found a solid mind block against him. She knew how to protect herself from his telepathy because of training Arthur had given her when she had been younger. He had taught her it to protect her thoughts from Maury Parkman, and she found it a useful skill around Maury's son as well.

"I know," she said. "People with abilities have been disappearing, correct?"

"So you've known the whole time?" Hiro asked. "You knew people have been getting kidnapped and taken away?"

"Yes, unfortunately. But you four have nothing to worry about. They have everyone they need."

"Who exactly is 'they'?" Ando demanded.

"The United States government."

"But why would they want people with abilities?" Matt asked. "Why would they kidnap innocent people?"

"The military is always looking for new weapons, Matt. Surely you must know this. And as of now, the best new thing they've found to develop and study is supernatural abilities. They want to make superweapons out of normal people like Claire and Mohinder. And Peter." Her voice dropped slightly as she spoke of her youngest son.

"What about Nathan?" Ando asked. "Is he the one kidnapping people?"

"No. Nathan was assigned by the President to oversee this project. The government knows nothing of his ability, and the President decided to make my son the overseer of the project because of his concern for national safety."

"Then who's the one actually kidnapping people with powers?"

Angela sighed. "His name is Hunter Redding. I don't know anything else about him."

"Are you sure?" Matt pressed with his telepathy against Angela's mind block, but found he could get no penetration.

"I'm positive. Now, if you would ever so kindly get out of my head, I might be able to give you your next destination."

"And where would that be?"

"Washington D.C."

"What's in Washington?"

"The answer to this complicated problem."

Matt looked at his crew. They looked ready to go to Washington at a moment's notice. Silently and without a word, the four put their hands together, making sure everyone was at least touching part of Hiro's hand. And when Hiro closed his eyes and took a deep breath, they were gone.

**Me: Yes! Another chapter is done!**

**Peter: Um, duh.**

**Me: Wait, why do you have pink globs of gook in your hair? And why is Twin covered in spaghetti sauce?**

**Twin: Food fight! And I won! I am the champion! *victory dance***

**Peter: That's just 'cause you got to the yogurt first.**

**Me: *groans* Great, now I have to clean up after you two. I hate cleaning!**

**Twin: Deal with it. It was so much fun! You should've joined us!**

**Me: No thanks. I already got my shower for today, and I don't feel like taking another one.**

**Twin: You're such a party pooper.**

**Me: Oh well.**

**Peter: Will you two shut it?!**

**Twin & Me (at the same time): NO!**

**Peter: Whatever. I'm going to go make something to eat. Anyone want some macaroni and cheese?**

**Twin: Ooh, me! *waves hand in air***

**Me: No thanks. I've got to start writing the next chapter.**

**Peter: You snooze you lose.**

**Me: I'm not snoozing, so technically I'm not losing. Ha!**

**Okay, my request for reviews still stands. Please review, it makes me feel good! Oh, and check out my profile. I have a poll for what my next story should be about. Please vote!**


	5. Waves of Emotion

**Me: Okay, here we go. This is the fifth chapter! I've hit the 5 mark. Yay!**

**Twin: Okay, so it's the fifth chapter. What's the big deal?**

**Me: It means people are reading my story! Duh! (pause) Say, Twin, where's Peter?**

**Twin: Um, he's not going to be talking today. He's sick.**

**Me: Did you poison his food again? Jeez Twin, just 'cause he has regenerative powers doesn't mean you can poison him whenever you feel like it!**

**Twin: I didn't poison him.**

**Me: Suuure.**

**Twin: I didn't!**

**(muffled shout of "Let me out!")**

**Me: Twin, did you hear that?**

**Twin: Maybe.**

**Me: Did you stuff him in the closet?**

**Twin: Maybe. *runs away***

**Me: *sigh* Anyhoo, here's the next chapter. Lucky number five! Whoo-hoo! Keep reviewing, peeps!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Heroes. NBC does. I'm still going to keep trying to buy it, though. Oh, but I DO own Theresa and her Rebellion. (except for Gabriel Gray)**

_Gabriel Gray & Theresa Collins_

_San Francisco_

The days after Gabriel joined the Rebellion were full of introductions. Theresa had seemed to take a liking to him; she was constantly showing him around the city, showing him the different bases and teaching him all of the code words used by the Rebels. Truthfully, he enjoyed it. He liked Theresa, and it seemed that she liked him.

Gabriel was disappointed to learn that Theresa was already seeing someone, one of the higher-ups in the Rebel rankings. Being only a newcomer, he was low in ranking and thus did not have the same level of respect from his fellow Rebels that they gave to Theresa and her boyfriend, a handsome hydrokinetic man called Robby. Robby could control water, and used his power to bring rainwater out of the soil to quench the thirst of everyone in the Rebel base. He was powerful, and the skill he had with his ability was amazing.

He could see why Theresa would be interested in him. But that did not stop him from feeling jealous every time he put her arm around her or when she kissed him on the cheek. For one of the first times in his life, he felt jealous of something other than power.

And then, after he had been in the Rebel society for nearly two weeks, his luck turned. Theresa and Robby had a huge fight, and the crying girl had gone running to him for comfort. He had sat on his cot with her, stroking her hair and telling her it was all going to be alright. He felt a warm flutter in his chest when he thought of how she had come running to him before anyone else.

"Robby doesn't care about me anymore," she sniffled, burying her face in his shirt. "He's just been so crabby lately, yelling at me, calling me names."

"How dare he," Gabriel muttered. "You're too good for an idiot like that."

Theresa pulled back to look at him, confused, and without a warning Gabriel pressed his lips to hers. Her lips were soft, and he was pleasantly surprised when she angled her head so that he could kiss her better. He intensified the kiss, angling his own head.

After what seemed like eternity, they finally broke apart, gasping for breath. Theresa's cheeks were bright red from blushing, and Gabriel thought about how beautiful she looked.

"Where'd you learn to kiss like that?" she murmured, leaning back against the wall behind her.

"Does it matter?"

She laughed, a beautiful sound. "Not really."

Gabriel smiled and leaned back against the wall, watching Theresa from the corner of his eyes. She wiped a tear from her eye.

"Gabriel, I have a confession to make."

"What is it?"

"Ever since you came here, even when I was still with Robby, I've loved you."

To know that she felt the same way made Gabriel's heart beat faster. "I love you too," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. It felt so natural, to sit there like this, holding Theresa close to him.

His smile grew as Theresa snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder, her long hair cascading around her face as she fell into a light sleep. _So this is what love feels like, _he thought, closing his eyes.

_I like it._

_Micah Sanders & Tracy Strauss _

_Denver, Colorado_

"Aunt Tracy?"

The woman eyed Micah warily, her dark eyes shifty. "Who are you?" she asked the boy on her doorstep. The kid shifted uncomfortably, and then pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"My name is Micah Sanders," he said shyly. "I'm your nephew."

"I don't have any brothers or sisters," she said, beginning to close the door. "I think you're mistaken."

"Wait!" Micah said, pushing on the door to make sure it didn't shut in his face. "You had two identical sisters, right? My mom, Nikki, was one of them."

"How did you-"

"I have abilities too. Just like you and my mom. I can talk to computers, and some of the files in this one doctor's computer said that your abilities were artificial, and that my mom's were too."

Tracy opened the door widen, beckoning Micah inside. "I guess it looks like we're going to have to have a talk," she said, shutting and locking the door behind the boy as he entered his newfound aunt's house. She gave the strange boy a confused look before sitting down on the sofa, across from the

-----

"So, let me get this straight. Your father had the ability to phase through things, your mother had super strength, and you can talk to computers?"

"That's right."

"Your mother had Multiple Personality Disorder, and one of her egos, Jessica, tried to kill your dad. After Jessica went away, your dad got killed. Have I left anything out so far?"

"Yeah. Mom got a new ego, Gina, and she was the reason Dad was killed."

"Okay, so then your mom got killed rescuing one of your friends?"

"That's right."

"And you're an orphan now?"

"Yeah."

Tracy rubbed her temples. Hearing this kid's entire life story was frustrating, and slightly annoying. It was a lot to take in on such short notice.

"Look, kid, I-"

"The name's Micah."

"Look, Micah, I don't know what I should tell you. Even if you are my nephew, what do you want me to say? That I'll take you in?"

"I just want your help."

"With what, exactly?"

"With this." Micah handed her several loose papers, and she noticed the President's seal.

"What-"

"The government has something planned,' Micah said, extracting a folder from his dirty backpack. He handed it to Tracy, and the woman took it hesitantly, setting down the papers. "People are disappearing. So far, it's been eleven, but I think the number might rise."

"The government is… kidnapping people?" she asked, flipping through the papers in the file. They were profiles on people; she saw three that she recognized. Claire Bennet, Peter Petrelli, Mohinder Suresh… But they were all good people. What right did the government have to detain them?

"Yeah. But only people with 'useful' powers. The military is trying to develop a new superweapon, and they want to study the abilities of people who might have something useful to contribute. Like Mohinder's superhuman strength. Or Claire's ability to heal from any physical wound."

"But why? Why would our government hold these people against their will, torturing them for all we know?"

"Do you really think that the people they've detained, especially people like Peter, would let themselves be tested like lab rats willingly?"

"I guess you're right," she said, closing the file and running a hand through her hair nervously. This was big; if the government were rounding up certain people with abilities, how long would it be until they moved on to rounding up everyone else? "So, what do we do about it?"

Micah shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know," he admitted willingly. "But I think the first step is to go to San Francisco."

"Why would you think that?"

"I got an email the other day from someone called 'Rebel'. It told me that there was going to be a war and to be prepared. I talked to the computer, and I traced its origins back to that metropolis."

Tracy stood and grabbed her purse from the back of her chair. She looked inside; she had enough credit left on her credit cards to buy two plane tickets to the city. She nodded to Micah, and the two stood up, shouldering his backpack as he walked toward the door.

"San Francisco, here we come," Tracy muttered to herself as she locked the door behind her and headed to the car, where her nephew was waiting patiently.

_Hiro Nakamura, Ando Masahashi, Matt Parkman & Daphne Millbrook_

_Washington, D.C._

Hiro looked around. In front of him, the Reflecting Pool glimmered brightly in the moonlight, the Washington Monument lit up on the other end of the pool. He had never been to Washington D.C. before, at least not at night. It was amazing; he thought that perhaps he would come back someday as a tourist rather than someone trying to save his comrades.

"So, where do we go from here?" Ando asked.

Hiro thought for a second. It seemed to be the million-dollar question at the moment.

"We'll have to find Nathan," Matt said, walking toward the main street. The National Mall was quiet; the museums that lined the streets were closed, thus providing virtually no reason for tourists to be there. Only a few straggling people, most likely locals, prowled the streets. "Wherever Nathan is, the missing people are going to be there too."

"How do you know that, Matt?" Daphne asked, cocking her head.

"I've seen how Nathan's mind works. That's one nice thing about my ability. He believes that you have to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Peter, Claire, and Mohinder will be kept somewhere in the city, that much I'm sure of." He looked around. "The only problem now is trying to find them."

"Do you want me to boost your power?" Ando asked, letting the red lightning characteristic to his ability dance across his fingers. "You were able to read the minds of everyone in the city the one time we tried it. Could we do the same thing here?"

"I never thought of that, but that should work. Here." Matt held out his hand, closing his eyes and preparing for the swarm of voices he was about to hear. Ando gripped his arm, the red lightning transferring to Matt and dancing across the telepath's arm until it reached his shoulder, where it seemed to almost fade.

Matt could hear everything; any thought of any person in the city was swarming into his mind now. He could even hear the private thoughts of the President himself. He scoured through the thoughts with his subconscious, letting each word be heard, looking for a familiar voice.

What he heard was not a voice, but instead a feeling. It was horrible, full of pain and anger and menace, as well as hope and comfort. It was perhaps the strangest thing he'd ever felt.

He realized that it was a presence, rather several distinct presences, but for some reason he could not hear their thoughts. He pushed with his ability, trying to pinpoint the location from which these feelings were coming from. It was fruitless; he could not center in on a location, for it was as if the thoughts were fluidly traveling over the city in waves. It was very strange and frustrating; Matt clenched his jaw, trying to follow the feeling back to the presences only to come up with the same result.

Finally, his jaw relaxed and his eyes reopened. Daphne, Hiro, and Ando were all looking at him expectantly. Their eyes dropped when he shook his head.

"I couldn't come up with a precise location," he murmured. "It was like their thoughts were cut off from me somehow. But they're definitely in the city, or at least close to it."

"At least we know we're in the right place," Hiro said with fake enthusiasm, trying to lighten the spirits of his companions. It did not work.

"This place is huge," Daphne whined. "How are we going to find them here? There's so many buildings, so many places the government could be hiding them."

"Don't think like that," Ando said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "At least it's not a city like New York. Searching that city would've been much worse than this."

"He's right, Daph," Matt said, grabbing her hand and holding it in her own. "At least this city isn't the biggest in the world. Or even the country, for that matter. We'll just have to search without our powers, and we should be able to find something."

"Stupid bureaucrats," she muttered. "Can't they ever just be content with what they have? Nope. They want a new weapon, so they go around kidnapping innocent people with abilities that they think could be the next big thing. What a joke."

"You're right, it is a joke. That's why we have to stop it. What they're doing is wrong, and we have to try to make them see that."

Daphne nodded, squeezing Matt's hand tighter. "I never thought I'd go from thief to hero."

Matt leaned toward her, and whispered in her ear, "I always knew you would. You shouldn't have doubted yourself." Straightening out, he glanced at Hiro and Ando.

"Are you guys ready to kick some serious butt?"

They nodded.

"Then let's roll."

**Me: Yeah, I know, kind of crappy, but it's more of a filler than anything else, even though there is some vital stuff in here. Please don't give up on me just yet! And the next chapter has Paire!**

**Twin: I still don't understand why everyone gets worked up over Paire.**

**Me: That's 'cause you're not a total Heroes freak like me and half the other fans out there. Heroes-obsessed people rock!**

**Twin: Uh-huh. Sure.**

**Me: Did you let Peter out of the closet yet?**

**Twin: No.**

**Me: Go do it please. You have no idea how many dirty socks are in there.**

**Twin: Do I have to?**

**Me: Yes. Otherwise I'll let Peter get any form of revenge he wants, including filming you while you sleep. I don't think you want that to end up all over Youtube, do you?**

**(Twin runs out of room to the closet)**

**Anyways, my request for reviews is still existent. Please review! It makes me feel special and loved! And it helps me know what direction I should take my story in.**

**Toodles!**


	6. A Devil's Deal

**Me: Hello, faithful readers! Unfortunately, my evil teachers have been giving me a ton of homework lately, and I haven't been able to work on the story as much as I would like. But I prevail and work on it in practically all my free time.**

**Peter: Yeah, and you spend the rest of your free time sitting on your bed, rocking back and forth and singing the "Nobody Loves Me, Everybody Hates Me" song.**

**Me: *smacks Peter upside the head* That isn't true! I spend most of it hanging out with my friends, thank you very much.**

**Peter: Speaking of friends… where's Twin?**

**Me: Oh, she had to do something today. Instead, I brought someone else. Say hello to Ed!**

**Ed: Aloha!**

**Peter: I thought Ed was a guy's name.**

**Ed: It is. What, just because I'm a girl means I can't be named Ed?**

**Peter: I never said that.**

**Ed: You're implying it.**

**Peter: Are not.**

**Ed: Are too.**

**Me: Okay guys, cut it out. Play nice.**

**Ed: Yes, Mom.**

**Me: *slaps Ed* Don't call me Mom, Shorty!**

**Ed: Don't call me Shorty!**

**Me: Anyhoo, on with the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't know why I keep writing these. I obviously don't own Heroes, and I obviously wish I did. But I do own Theresa and the Rebellion. (except Gabriel Gray, of course)**

**A/N:: I would like to make clear something that has been brought to my attention. In my story, Micah and Tracy have never met. Just to clear things up.**

_Claire Bennet, Peter Petrelli & Mohinder Suresh_

_Containment Building_

Claire was curled up on her cot in a fetal position, her legs pulled up to her chest and her forehead resting against her knees. She'd been in this horrible cell for nearly three days now, and she was beginning to doubt that she was ever getting out of this place.

She glanced up at Mohinder through her hair. He was sitting cross-legged on his cot, his eyes closed and his hands gripping his knees. He rarely moved from that position, only when he needed to use the small bathroom that was connected to the cell or when the guards came and took them to the showers. Their captors only gave them a small meal every day, and they weren't given any other human interaction. It was a lonely existence in this cell, cut off from the rest of the world.

Her gaze moved to Peter. He was pacing the empty space in the center of the room, his brow furrowed in thought. He remaindered her of the caged animals she used to see at the zoo near her childhood home, always pacing, always seeming to be ready to just snap and turn wild. And like those animals, he was not enjoying the feeling of being caged.

She watched as he walked back and forth, back in forth, always in a constant motion. It was almost hypnotizing to watch him, and she felt him glance at her. She curled up tighter, taking refuge in herself, one of the only places left to take refuge in.

Life was becoming a pattern of cruel joke after cruel joke. She used to think that her father loved her, that Noah Bennet was an honest man who would do anything for his family. That had turned out to be a lie. And then she had begun to think that life was finally looking up after Pinehearst had been taken care of. Now she was stuck in a cell somewhere in Washington, D.C. without a clue as what to lay in her future. It was like her luck was cursed, like she was doomed to live an uncertain life. And that cursed life would keep going on and on since her power kept her from ever aging.

But there was one spark of hope in the unfortunate life she led. Peter would always be there for her, always there by her side to encourage her and give her a shoulder to cry on. Like her, he would never age; he would never grow old and weak, always staying young and strong. He understood her, knew her wants and needs and did his best to satisfy her. In her mind, he was perfect, almost like a living angel. No, he _was_ an angel; he was her guardian angel, for he loved her and protected her like no one else ever would.

Claire began to cry. She didn't know why, but she felt she needed to get the tears out. What was wrong with her? Two and a half years ago, she'd been the average teenage girl. She'd been loving life, loving popularity, loving the things that she had taken advantage of without a second thought. Now, her future was bleak and full of misery.

She felt someone squeeze her hand, and when she looked up Peter was on his knees next to her cot, his dark eyes filled with worry. He looked stressed, and he had great reason to be. But he was most stressed about what was going to happen to Claire in this horrible place. Mohinder could take care of himself, but what would they do to her? It scared Peter to know that the government could do all kinds of horrible things to her, and that he wouldn't be able to stop any of it. He felt helpless without his powers, for without his powers he stood no chance against the enemy.

"Claire, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed to cry for once." Claire wiped the tears from her eyes. There was no need to worry him; his destiny was just as full of darkness as her own. "I'm okay now."

"No, you're not. If you need to cry, go ahead and cry. You don't need to be strong in front of me or Mohinder."

Claire nodded slightly, and then began to sob again, tightening her hand around Peter's. He shifted her into a sitting position and then took a seat next to her on the cot, gently placing her head against his chest and rocking her back and forth in a slight motion. He couldn't stand to see Claire like this, crying and broken, but he understood her need for tears. They were a way to express emotion, and she had been holding in her emotions to look strong for too long. She needed to be an average person for once, for even if she did have an ability she was still a human.

They sat there for what seemed like eternity, Peter rocking Claire slightly in an effort to ease her fears. Eventually, the girl's crying dwindled down until it stopped all together. But she never moved from his arms, for she felt safe there, like she was being held by someone who could chase away all her fears and keep her from falling apart. She loved the feel of Peter's arms, the way they made her feel like she was going to make it through these hard times.

Suddenly, there was an unnerving click, and Peter stiffed around her, drawing her as close as he could to him. He had promised that he wouldn't allow anyone to touch her, and he would live up to that promise even if it killed him. His once-comforting grip on Claire turned protective, his cheek resting on her head as he watched the door to the cell open.

There was a tall man outlined in the light from the hallway. He was flanked by two guards, and directly behind him walked a man in a white lab coat, a scientist by the looks of it. A growl started deep in Peter's throat. If any of these men even tried to hurt Claire, they would pay for it with their lives.

Claire stiffened as she felt eyes fall on her, and she heard Peter's growl. It didn't sound like the Peter she knew and loved; the growl was coming from some feral monster, some wild animal bent on blood. Was this really what he had become in the few days they'd been here? No, she knew he was just trying to protect her, and instincts had taken over for now. He wasn't a wild animal like the people here probably thought he was; he was an average human being, just trying to protect her because he loved her.

She looked at the men by the door through her long hair. Four men, two of them guards and one of them in a lab coat. The other was tall, dressed in a dark navy suit and shiny black shoes. Peter's chest seemed to vibrate as his growl intensified.

"Pete, we need to talk," Nathan Petrelli said.

_Gabriel Gray & Theresa Collins_

_San Francisco_

Gabriel was standing on the edge of the bay, his hands in his pockets and his eyes scanning the world around him. Now that he thought about it, he didn't mind San Francisco so much; maybe it was Theresa rubbing off on him. She constantly talked about the city; she had been born here, raised here, and she even hoped to have her children here too. She loved this city, and he didn't mind her relating to childhood experiences whenever they took a walk around some area that was familiar to her. It made him glad that at least some people had had a happy childhood.

Theresa had once asked him what his younger years had been like. Naturally, he'd changed the subject. When your father sold you and then killed your mother, you can't ever say that you've had a pleasant childhood. And he didn't want to tell her about the killing spree he'd had under the alias of Sylar. He would probably loose her trust, and that was something that he wanted even more than her love, even though he had both.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked him now, intertwining her fingers in his. She and Robby were officially through, and now she was always by Gabriel's side. "I've lived here over twenty-five years and I still never get tired of it."

"Yeah, it's beautiful, but I know something even more breathtaking."

Theresa looked curious. "What?"

"You." Gabriel leaned toward her, and the couple shared a short kiss. He loved the sensation of love, but even more amazing was the feeling of being loved. His heart melted every time he saw Theresa's green eyes, every time he touched her soft skin. She was perfect, God's personal gift to the world. Nothing could replace her; nothing could satisfy his need for her.

When they broke apart, Theresa was blushing fiercely, her cheeks bright red. She loved Gabriel so much more than she had ever loved Robby. Gabriel respected her more, treated her equally but always understood her womanly needs. He was caring and kind, always there to be a shoulder to cry on. She loved him so, so much.

"Come on, let's go back to headquarters," he said, still holding her hand as they walked back to the main street that would take them back to the crack house. "Johnny asked me to help him train some of the newest recruits."

"Okay," she agreed, and on the way back to the underground base her eyes never left Gabriel's face.

_The Petrellis_

_Containment Building_

Peter sat across the table from his brother and the man in the lab coat, his fury practically radiating off of him in waves. He couldn't stand to look at the man in front of him, sipping at his coffee mug like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Had his hands not been handcuffed to the arms of the chair he sat in, he might've jumped over the table and tried to strangle him.

"What do you want, Nathan?" he asked in a voice that dripped with venom.

"To make a deal," his elder brother said, setting down his coffee mug and wiping his mouth with a napkin. "A deal that will keep Claire safe but still give us what we need to have."

_A deal that will keep Claire safe_. Peter didn't believe him, but if there were even a chance of keeping her from suffering in this place he would take it. He didn't care about what happened to him, as long as Claire was unharmed. He would deal with the consequences for himself later.

Nathan took his brother's silence for an invitation to continue. "The deal's this, Pete. You let us study your regenerative capabilities, test their limitations, and Claire will remained unharmed. Basically, you'll be doing her testing for her, taking her place."

"Would she ever be freed?" Peter thought that there was no good reason to hold her here is he would be doing her testing for her, and if he knew she would be released from this prison he would make the deal without a second thought.

"Possibly. If she ever were, she would be under surveillance, though."

It sounded like the only way to keep her safe. If he turned down this deal, she would be used like a lab animal, tested on like some rat. He couldn't let that happen to Claire, not when he had the power to stop it.

"Listen, Nathan," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I don't know what kind of sick jokes you have up your sleeves, but you have to promise me on your honor that if I take this deal, you won't do anything to Claire or put her in harm in any way." He paused for a moment, then continued. "And if I keep up with my deal, you'll let her go."

The man in the lab coat cleared his throat. "That's not possible, Peter." He paused and quailed slightly as Peter threw him a death glare. If looks could kill… "Err, Mr. Petrelli, I mean. As I was saying, that's just not possible."

"And why not? What right do you have to keep her here if you already have someone with her power?"

"She could leak information out into the public. This operation is secret for a reason, Mr. Petrelli. We can't risk this kind of thing becoming common knowledge. People would question our methods."

"They have a right to. You abduct innocent people and stick them in a prison cell without a trial, without even acknowledging their Constitutional rights. We've done nothing wrong, yet you treat us like we're less than human. I was a freaking nurse; Mohinder is a scientist trying to find ways to help people. Claire isn't even in college yet, and she's already been through experiences no soul should ever have to go through. And yet you still believe in what you do?"

"We're doing this for the benefit of the entire country, Pete," Nathan tried to explain.

"Is that how you live with yourself? Is that how you're able to look at yourself in the mirror and still believe yourself to be a good person?" Peter's voice was raised to the point where he was practically shouting. "You don't know half of what it means to be a good person. Sure, Nathan, you saved New York when I lost control of my radioactive ability, but first you planned to let me blow up the entire metropolis. You _wanted_ people to die, just so you could advance your political standing. If that's not selfish, I don't know what is."

"That was Linderman's plan, not mine."

"But yet you still supported it! You were willing to let millions of people die. And now you're doing this, abducting people for no reason and telling them that they might never get out of here. I thought the government was supposed to help people. At least that's what I was taught in civics class. But now I know it's all a lie, that the government doesn't care about normal people. You idiotic officials only care about yourselves." Peter spat at him in disgust, hitting Nathan right in the face.

Nathan's anger was growing as he wiped the glob of spit from his cheek. This wasn't going as smoothly as he had hoped. He had thought Peter would go right for the bait without question. "Pete, we came here to make a deal, not to talk about politics. Are you going to take the deal or not?"

"Against my better judgment, yeah. But I want you to tell me that you'll leave Claire alone."

"I promise you that no harm will come to her."

Peter nodded, and the doors to the room opened. Two guards grabbed him from his chair and led him out the door, his hands cuffed behind his back now. But he noticed something strange; they weren't taking him back to his cell.

_Hunter Redding_

_Containment Building_

Hunter watched as the guards led the younger Petrelli out of the room. Pushing himself off the wall he had been leaning against, he walked into the room where Nathan and the man in the lab coat were still sitting.

"So, he took the bait?" Hunter asked, sitting in the chair previously occupied by Peter, his boots resting on the fine oak table.

"Yes." Nathan looked almost… distracted? "But he made a new request."

"What is it?"

"He wants us to let Claire go if he keeps doing the tests for us."

Hunter let out a laugh that sounded almost like a bark. "Tell me you didn't agree!"

"No, but maybe we should. She is just an innocent girl, after all. And we can keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't leak information."

"You're going soft, Senator Petrelli. If Claire isn't here, what's going to keep your brother from refusing to do the tests?"

Nathan knew the man had a point, but that didn't mean he liked that point. Peter's words had stirred something in him, something telling him that this entire project was wrong. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right!" Hunter laughed. Then he stood as his pager went off, digging in his pocket for it and taking a glance at the screen.

"Sorry, they have a bit of situation in Section Eight," he said, going to the door again. "I have to go take care of it. We can talk more about this later."

He smiled as he made his way down to Section Eight. Project Armageddon was in effect.

**Me: Whew, that took forever to write!**

**Ed: Yeah, and you ignored everyone while you wrote it.**

**Me: Hey, it's not my fault I have to concentrate while I type.**

**Ed: I know, but still. *pouts* Oh, guess what I found! Guess!**

**Me: I'm scared to find out.**

**Peter: Same here.**

**Ed: I found this really cool pointy thing the other day. I wonder if it hurts when you get poked with it.**

**Me: You can try it, but not on me.**

**Ed: *pokes Peter with sharp thing* Does that hurt?**

**Peter: OUCH!**

**Ed: I'll take that as a yes. And don't be a sissy. You'll heal.**

**Peter: I can still feel pain, you idiot.**

**Ed: What did you call me?**

**Me: If you two are going to have it out, go somewhere else. I don't feel like having to tell my mom why the house is totally wrecked.**

**As always, please review! I'm begging you! It tells me what I have to do as an author, and what I should improve on. Positive reviews are welcomed graciously. And you don't even have to have an account!**


	7. Guardian Angel

**Me: OMG, I am going to KILL my English teacher!**

**Peter: Great, what did she do now?**

**Me: She's been dumping a ton of homework on us for the past week and I'm sick of it! She gives us these boring writing prompts every single night, and I practically fell asleep reading the last one.**

**Peter: Sucks for you.**

**Me: I know! I'm barely having any time to write my story, and I'm so far behind. Grr, I hate this!**

**Peter: It could be worse…**

**Me: Don't give me any fortune cookie crap. I'm just really frustrated right now. But, the good news is that this is chapter seven. Yay! Seven has always been one of my lucky numbers, so I hope people like this chapter. I worked really hard, as usual.**

**Peter: Are you having mood swings or something?**

**Me: Maybe. Or maybe I'm just totally in a rage because my English teacher had the nerve to say I had no self-confidence because I write small! (True story peoples! The nerve! *fuming*)**

**Anyway, before I get carried away, let's get on with the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes. Obviously. If I did own such an awesome show, I wouldn't be writing fanfictions for it. But, I do own Theresa and her Rebellion (Yay me!) except for Gabriel Gray. Gabriel belongs to NBC along with the rest of the show and characters.**

_Claire Bennet & Mohinder Suresh_

_Containment Building_

Claire stared at the wall, barely able to suppress the impatience anymore. It had been nearly three hours since Nathan had taken Peter from their cell for a "talk". Why wasn't he back yet? Had something gone wrong?

She sighed in frustration and looked at Mohinder. At least he'd gotten up off his lazy butt and started to try to come up with a plan. So far he couldn't think of anything that could work, but Claire knew he had a brilliant mind and should be able to come up with one soon. But until that time, she would have to just sit on her cot and stare at the four walls that had become her prison.

To say she was frustrated didn't do her justice. Being kept in a dank cell without any outside interaction was stressful enough, but knowing that something bad could happen to the person she loved was even worse. She was constantly worrying, constantly thinking of things that could've happened to Peter. He couldn't be dead unless he was shot in the back of the head, which was highly unlikely seeing as they wanted to use him for some military purpose. But he could be hurt in some other way, and while he might heal and ultimately not be affected by an injury he would still feel the pain of it.

As the hours passed, she became more and more fidgety. Finally, she couldn't sit still any longer and began to pace much like Peter had. She could see now why he had made a habit of it; it made her feel slightly more relaxed when she moved, and even just walking back and forth in a straight line was better than sitting around doing nothing.

By the time eight hours had passed since Peter had gone with Nathan, Claire was becoming nervous. She hadn't begun to think of it as a possibility, but now she had to face the fact that she might never see Peter again. Her angel was gone, leaving her alone in this place. Well, not completely alone; Mohinder was still in the cell with her, but he wouldn't be the kind of friend she needed in a place like this.

Ten hours after Nathan had taken Peter, Claire was forced to accept the truth. Peter, her Peter, was gone, probably forever. Her guardian angel wasn't going to keep her warm, wasn't going to hold her when she cried, wasn't going to wrap his strong arms around her and tell her everything was going to be alright. He wasn't going to be there waiting for her when she woke up, wasn't going to be the last thing she saw before she fell asleep at night. He wasn't going to be there anymore. He was gone.

She couldn't take it anymore. She ran into the small bathroom connected to the cell and slammed the door shut behind her as she collapsed against the wall. The tears began to flow, and they wouldn't stop; this was why she had run in here. She didn't want to look weak in front of Mohinder. Peter was the only one she opened up to anymore, the only one she broke down in front of. But now she needed to let out her feelings.

And so, slumped against the wall of the tiny bathroom, she cried.

_Tracy Strauss & Micah Sanders_

_Los Angeles_

Tracy tapped her thigh nervously, watching the screen above the ticket counter and waiting for it to say "Board". She was waiting at the airport, Micah sitting in the seat beside her. The boy was playing a Gameboy, his eyes practically glued to the screen.

Their plane had had to land in Los Angeles because of bad weather in San Francisco. At first, the pilot had promised it would be a short delay, but that short delay had turned into four hours of extreme boredom. At least Micah was occupied with his game. Tracy knew from experience that few things were more annoying than a bored child.

She was wary about the whole plan of going to meet someone they didn't even know in an unfamiliar city. But she could sense that her nephew wasn't lying, that the kid truly believed they could find help in San Francisco. It was unnerving for her to leave everything she knew behind, yet it sent a pleasant thrill up her spine. Must've been the anticipation of a new adventure.

She was startled when the man in the seat next to her stood up, and when she looked at the sign above the ticket counter it had changed from the last time she had seen it. It said "Board" now; it was time to get on the plane and finally travel to San Francisco.

"C'mon, Micah, let's go," she said, standing up and looking down at her nephew. He looked so innocent and young, sitting there playing with his toy. With a small sigh, the boy slipped his Gameboy into his pocket and stood up too, grabbing his backpack as he and his aunt joined the line of passengers waiting to get onto the plane. After the tickets were checked, Micah and Tracy boarded the plane and took their seats, apprehensive about what was to come in the near future.

Though he did not show it, Micah was secretly scared. He knew they would find help in San Francisco, but he didn't know what kind of people would be the ones helping them. When the plane was high above the ground and he was watching the city disappear into the clouds, Micah crossed his fingers where no one could see them. He hoped that luck would be with them on this adventure.

He knew they would need it.

_Matt Parkman, Hiro Nakamura, Daphne Millbrook & Ando Masahashi_

_Washington, D.C._

Matt glanced around the streets, his impatience only intensifying when he searched for a thought from anyone with abilities but could find none. It was infuriating to know that his powers weren't going to help find his missing comrades. His telepathy had always been useful, and now that he couldn't sense their thoughts like he had believed he could made him feel helplessly lost in this big city.

"How are we going to find them in this city, Matt?" Hiro asked, putting voice to his thoughts. "It's so big, and it's going to be crowded in the daytime."

"I guess we'll have to find them the old way," Matt said, turning down an alleyway.

"What's the old way?" Ando asked.

"Look."

The four people made their way through the city, trying to keep their eyes and ears open as they prowled the streets. Matt tried using his ability several more times with the same negative result, and even after trying again with Ando's help he could nothing more than the frustrating waves of emotion he had felt when they had first tried. Only, now the emotions were different; there wasn't as much hope mixed in with the fear and the pain, and there was perhaps more of a suffering tone to it all. Matt was sure that these feelings were coming from the people the government was kidnapped, but though he tried hard he couldn't find the key to pinpointing their location.

Hiro glanced nervously at an office building, where the first commuters were entering the office. "Matt, we've been at this for hours," he said. "If we can't find them using your telepathy, then we won't find them like this."

"What do you think we should do then, Hiro?"

"Research. Right after we make a call."

Matt glanced back over his shoulder. Hiro was walking along with an almost bouncy gate that exemplified his naturally jolly nature, even though the gate was slightly dragging with tiredness. When he looked at everyone else, he saw that they looked tired too.

"Look, we'll rest and talk it over," he said. "We're running out of options, and we need to rescue those people as soon as possible."

-----

Two hours later, Matt was holding a payphone to his ear and waiting for it to finish connecting with the other phone number. He was nervous to say the least; he hated to ask for others' help, but now he truly needed it. He tapped the side of the booth, glancing over his shoulder as if he were afraid some government bureaucrat would stick a tranq in his back.

The phone was finally connected, and he heard a kid speak into the phone. "Hello, who is this?"

"Do you know where Micah Sanders is?" Hiro had said that Micah could talk to computers, and if he could hack into government files they would have all the information they needed, as well as the location of the captives.

"You're speaking to him."

Matt was stunned. Micah was a kid? Typical of Hiro to leave out little details like that.

"Look, Micah, we need you're help."

"Who are you?" the kid sounded wary; Matt didn't blame him one bit.

"My name is Matt Parkman."

"Oh, you're the police officer, right? Molly told me all about you and how you saved her and stuff." Now Matt could remember Micah, the little dark-skinned boy who had made fast friends with Molly Walker. Someday, Matt hoped to see Molly again; she was like a daughter to him.

"Yeah, that's me. Listen Micah, people have been disappearing."

"I know. People with abilities, right?"

"Yeah."

Micah sighed. "I found some files on stuff on the people missing. There's a few we don't know, but you're mainly concerned about Peter, Claire, and Mohinder, right?"

"Exactly. Is it possible that somehow you could hack into the government's files and find out where they are?"

"I can't right now. My aunt and I are in San Francisco, and I'm nowhere near a computer. But I'll look as soon as I can."

"How will you know where to find me?"

"Easy. Technology keeps track of everything. Check into a hotel somewhere and I'll be able to find and contact you."

"Thanks, Micah."

"Welcome, Matt."

Matt hung up the phone, walking briskly to the street corner where he was to meet the other three. They were there, eating hot dogs as they waited.

"So?" Daphne asked, throwing her trash into one of the many cans on the street.

"Let's check into a hotel," Matt said, walking away from the heart of the city. They'd more likely find a hotel somewhere on the outskirts than in the inner city. "Micah is willing to help us, but he can't do anything until he gets near a computer. He's going to find us by using the hotel files to find out where we're staying, and then he'll tell us what we need to know."

Hiro looked up at the sky. "God bless that boy."

_Peter Petrelli_

_Containment Building_

Peter leaned against the wall of his cell, disoriented after the extra dose of drugs he had been given. Now that they wanted to test his powers, the serum used to suppress abilities couldn't be used on him; instead, the scientists had decided to use a different drug to make his mind cloudy enough that he couldn't focus. Without concentration, there was no way for him to use his abilities and thus he still had no chance of escape.

Claire. He needed to find her. He needed to get her out of here, to make sure she was going to be safe. Though his thoughts were nothing but blurs because of the drugs, he knew what he had to do. He needed to escape. But he would have to wait until the right moment. For now, he would have to endure whatever lay in store for him.

His eyelids grew heavier as the time passed, and eventually Peter fell into the blissful nothingness of sleep, where he was free of his worries and holding Claire in his arms.

**Me: Okay, this took me absolutely forever to write.**

**Peter: Yeah, sure.**

**Me: Seriously, I had no time to work on it because of my stupid teachers. I hate homework! Curse whoever came up with the idea of it!**

**Peter: Hmm… what if it was more than one person?**

**Me: Then curse them all!**

**Peter: Jeez, that's extreme.**

**Me: Yeah, well, call me an extremist.**

**Okay, so I might not be able to update every single day for a while. *tear* Testing season is coming up, and my teachers are practically smothering me with homework. I'll update as fast as I can, though. I promise.**

**My request for reviews is still existent, so please review! It means a lot to me to know that people like to read my story, and so far I haven't gotten any bad reviews. So please be nice and take two seconds to write a review. It's very, very appreciated.**

**Until next time, bye-bye!**


	8. New Arrivals

**Me: Crap, I'm so far behind in writing. Have… to… keep…. going…**

**Twin: Jeez, don't kill yourself. It could be worse.**

**Me: You sound like Peter.**

**Twin: Deal with it. C'mon, you've had over 700 hits in like, three days! Be happy!**

**Me: I know, but still. I have to at least **_**try**_** for a double post this weekend.**

**Twin: Suit yourself, but what if you want to go to a friend's house?**

**Me: Then I'll copy the chapter I'm writing onto a flash drive and take it there.**

**Twin: *shaking head* You are one devoted author.**

**Me: Yep.**

**Yeah, things have been kind of hectic the last couple days. The teachers are getting meaner and surprising us with pop quizzes all the time, and then to make it worse I had archery last night so I lost two hours of writing time. I could've done practically a whole chapter in that time!**

**Now on with the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm seriously getting sick of writing these. I don't own Heroes. I'm just a mega-obsessed fan. My desktop on my computer is even a picture of one of the Heroes. Like I said, I'm obsessed. But I won't stop trying to buy it from NBC!**

_Matt Parkman, Ando Masahashi, Hiro Nakamura & Daphne Millbrook_

_Washington, D.C._

After about three hours of searching, Matt found a hotel on the outer limits of the city with two vacant rooms, one for him and Daphne and the other for Hiro and Ando. The hotel wasn't expensive, but it was enough to blow a hole in the small amount of funds the four people had combined.

Matt was sitting on the edge of his bed, the phone only an arm's reach away from him. He wasn't taking any chances that he could miss Micah's call; he was uneasy in this city, and he wanted to be out of it as soon as possible. But he wouldn't abandon the people being kept here to do so.

The call came close to midnight. Daphne was out with Ando and Hiro to scout the city, looking for anything suspicious that might give them a clue as to the location of the missing people with abilities. Matt grabbed the phone and had it to his ear before it was done with even its first ring.

"Hello? Micah?"

"Hi, Mr. Parkman. I have the information you asked for."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, this mess would be over, done with, and his life would be normal again.

For half an hour, Matt listened to Micah as the boy told him all he needed to know. The kid was even considerate enough to give him precise directions and the exact number of guards employed there. He also brought disturbing news: Nathan wasn't the only one who had planned for people with powers to be rounded up – he was actually planning with the President, which meant that the most powerful man in the United States was involved in the disappearances of innocent people. It definitely wouldn't look good on his record if the information leaked and he ran for reelection.

"There's one more thing you should know, though," Micah said. "This operation, I think it's called Armageddon, isn't an individual thing like you probably thought. It's all part of a bigger plan, and I think there's something going on in a bigger scale. Something that could affect everyone with abilities."

"Don't worry, Micah," Matt said, sensing that the conversation was coming to a close. "Just lie low and stay safe. But if you meet anyone else with abilities, spread the word. People need to know what's going on."

"Yeah, I guess. I'll talk to you later. Bye, Matt."

"Bye, Micah." The phone went dead, and Matt gently put the phone back in its place.

Project Armageddon… even the name was strangely prophetic. Armageddon, Apocalypse, the end of the world… they all meant the same thing. Was this going to be the end of the world? The end of peace, of prosperity? Matt didn't know, but he wasn't keen to find out. He was, however, quite keen to stop whatever was happening behind the backs of average citizens.

All that was left was invading the address Micah had given him and rescuing the missing people.

_Nathan Petrelli_

_Washington, D.C._

"Mr. President, I can't tell you that I agree with what direction this project has been going in." Nathan leaned against his desk, the phone cold on his ear.

"Nathan, listen to me. We have to study the full extent of the abilities of these people, to see how we can use them in the military."

"I understand that, Mr. President. But to torture people like this violates everything our Founding Fathers stood for. Freedom, humanitarian rights… this is cruelty. If word of this operation gets out, we're both ruined, sir."

"I know that, but I'm willing to take the risk. If I'm not mistaken, your disowned brother is wielding some surprising results from his tests, isn't he?"

Nathan was silent for a moment, and then continued. "Mr. President, please. Stop this project. My conscious won't allow me to continue overseeing this while I know innocent people are being hurt."

"If you leave, Nathan, I will only replace you. This project isn't going to stop until I'm satisfied with the outcomes of the experiments. Your brother and his companions are going to be staying in Project Armageddon for a long time, Nathan. The least you owe them is to stay to make sure they aren't treated completely inhumanly."

Nathan rubbed his temples, his inner reasoning torn. He should just pack up and leave the project, let someone else take the guilt. But, somewhere deep inside, he knew he would be able to do more good staying. If he left, who knew what would happen to Peter and the others? They could be killed for all he knew.

"Fine, Mr. President. I'll stay. But I want your guarantee that these people with abilities will be freed someday."

"Then consider yourself to have it. It's good to know that you'll be staying with the project after all. Good-bye, Nathan."

"Good-bye, Mr. President."

As he hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, Nathan stared up at the ceiling. What had he gotten himself into? He had dug himself into a hole from which there was no escape.

_The President of the United States_

_Washington, D.C._

As he heard Nathan's end of the line go dead, the President smiled sadly. He hated to lie to his own Golden Boy, but Nathan didn't need to know that the people with abilities would be exterminated after they expired in use. That was a conversation for later days. For now, he was content to let the Senator oversee the project as he wished.

Truthfully, he didn't know if he would ever have the heart to tell the Senator that they were going to be killed. Some of them were old friends. And then there was Peter, his brother. Nathan lived in a world where these people were equals. The President did not see them this way. He saw them as weapons. And Peter Petrelli was the most interesting of all, the most useful if it ever came to war. There were a thousand possible outcomes of this operation.

The phone began to ring again, and he picked it up after the third ring. He wanted to look excessively busy so that unimportant matters wouldn't be brought to his direct attention.

"Hello?"

"Mr. President, this is Hunter Redding." Hunter Redding, his man on the inside…

"Yes, what is it?"

"We have some new test results. And I think you'll be interested."

"Petrelli?"

"Yes. He's even more special then we thought."

"Tell me."

_Gabriel Gray & Theresa Collins_

_San Francisco_

"I'm going to go check on Base 3, okay? I heard there's a couple of new arrivals that came in the other day." Theresa got up from her place beside Gabriel in bed, her mouth wide as she yawned. She looked exhausted; she hadn't been getting much sleep over the last few days, and being responsible for an army of people with abilities didn't help.

"I'll go with you if you want me too," Gabriel offered, propping himself up on one elbow. "I'm not doing anything today."

"Nah, I need someone to hold down the fort while I'm gone. You can do that, right?"

"Come on, you don't give me enough credit," he laughed as he got up. "I could turn this place into a nightclub while you're gone."

"I wouldn't doubt it." As she walked past him to go to the bathroom and change, Gabriel wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. Her eyes closed and her head angled, she was so lost in this kiss, in this moment with her lover that she almost lost all sense of time. She groaned when they broke apart, and at first Gabriel thought it was because of him. Then he realized that she had looked at the clock.

"I'm going to be late," she moaned, trudging off with an armful of wrinkled clothes. He watched her go and then dressed himself. As he was slipping the button down shirt over his tank top, Theresa came back into the room. He almost smirked at her appearance; around new arrivals, she put on a tough girl appearance to communicate her place in the standings of the Rebels. She was wearing a baseball cap on backwards, a sleeveless hoodie, jeans that were ripped at random intervals up her legs, and worn-out Converses. She had quite the rebellious look. (no pun intended)

"You look like you're ready to kick someone's butt," he said, straightening out his clothes.

"I'm always ready to kick someone's butt. And don't you forget it, mister!" The last words were said with a slightly mocking tone. "I can put a man six feet under in less than ten seconds using just my hands. But you can't beat that!"

"Bet I can."

"Hmph, yeah right." Theresa kissed him once on the cheek before walking out of the room the two now shared, her gate as lope-like and swaying as always. Gabriel watched her go, then after a quick run-through with the hairbrush went out into the main part of the base.

Activity had soared in the past few days. In the last week alone, there had been four new arrivals, and the Rebellion had grown to a strong standing of one hundred and twenty members. They could probably take out an army with the right preparations.

About an hour passed before Theresa came back, and when she did she had two newcomers tailing along behind her. One was a woman probably in her mid-thirties with long, straight blonde hair. The other was a small boy, probably around ten years old, with semi-dark skin and curly black hair. The boy was looking around the base in awe, the woman with some nervousness in her eyes.

Gabriel went to meet her, and ignoring the two strangers pressed his lips against Theresa's. The kiss was short, however, and when they broke apart he stood with an arm around her shoulders.

"Gabriel, these are the new arrivals I was telling you about. This is Tracy Strauss, and her nephew, Micah Sanders."

**Me: So, all the heroes are finally coming together in the time of crisis.**

**Twin: Sounds like something out of a comic book.**

**Me: Um, the whole show practically is something out of a comic book. Or at least what you would expect a comic book to be like, only about ten thousand times better.**

**Twin: Uh-huh. So, when's the next chapter going to be posted?**

**Me: Hopefully tomorrow, if I can get the chapter typed in time. School is soooo stinkin' stressful this time of year, and it doesn't help that I have a huge Geography project due Monday. (ICK!!!!!!)**

**Twin: Ha! I'm already done with Geography since we only have it one semester.**

**Me: You just have to rub it in, don't you?**

**Twin: Of course! Would I be Twin if I didn't?**

**Me: Mmmm, good point.**

**As I said, I will hopefully be able to update often. I'm probably going to start writing other stories too, but this one will be my main focus, so it should be getting new chapters at least every couple of days.**

**And, as always, reviews are welcomed.**

**Chao!**


	9. Help

**Me: *crying***

**Peter: What the heck is wrong with you?**

**Me: It's testing season. You know what that means, right?**

**Peter: Uh, no.**

**Me: Lots of tests, lots of homework, lots of frustration, and not enough time to work on my story! *cries hysterically* I'm even writing my story in my notebook at school just so I can work on it!**

**Peter: Maybe you should just stay up later.**

**Me: I'm grumpy in the mornings anyway. I need all the sleep I can get.**

**Peter: Then just start writing really fast.**

**Me: I guess I could try that…**

**A/N:: Just so everyone knows, in my story Peter got his original ability of empathy mimicry (where he can use more than one power at a time) when he took the formula after his dad stole his powers. That information's kind of vital for this chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes. But I do own Theresa and her Rebellion (except for the familiar characters)**

_Matt Parkman, Hiro Nakamura, Ando Masahashi & Daphne Millbrook_

_Washington, D.C._

Matt glanced quickly at the clock on the pillar. Twelve… the train should be coming soon. The station was too crowded for him to feel comfortable in, though Hiro and Ando seemed unfazed by the large crowd. It was probably because they were used to living in the crowded city of Tokyo. Sure, New York was crowded, but it was probably only half as tightly packed as the Japanese cities.

He was sitting on a bench next to the ticket counters, his fingers intertwined with Daphne's as he waited for the subway to come. It was the fastest way to get to the side of town where Nathan had taken the people he had kidnapped. Using Daphne's super speed was tempting, but Matt wanted to make sure she wasn't too tired if something happened that would make them have to run.

On the other side of him, a man in his early forties was fixing his tie as he got up. Matt noticed that the man had left his cell phone on the bench. As he walked away, Matt grabbed it and was about to go after him when the phone began to ring. When he looked down at the caller ID, he couldn't conceal the shock. It was Micah Sanders.

"Hello?" he asked, putting the phone to his ear. Daphne gave him a curious look, but he held up a finger to tell her that he'd fill her in later.

"Hey Matt. It's a good thing they've got security cameras all over that station, or else I never would've found you."

"Why are you calling me, Micah?"

"I have more information about Project Armageddon."

"Good, we'll need all the info we can get. So, what do you have for me?"

"Well, for starters, we have a place where you can take the escapees. There's a safe house for people with abilities in San Francisco. Help for you is actually on the way now."

"What do you mean?"

"It's amazing. There's over a hundred people here, a rebellion against the government. Everyone here has abilities, and the leaders have found some people they think you could use for busting out the captives. There's a girl, I think her name is Olivia, and she can teleport like Hiro. The Rebels are sending her and a couple other people to help you with the rescue mission. They'll be at the train station any minute now."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yeah. You won't be able to use your powers to get inside the area where they're keeping their prisoners. There's a magnetic field around the building, keeping powers from the outside from breaching inside. But it has a weakness too. Once you get past the magnetic barrier, you can use your powers inside and to get out."

"So once I'm in there I'll be able to use my ability?"

"Exactly. And Hiro will be able to teleport the prisoners out of there with Olivia. They'll be able to bring them to headquarters as soon as they're rescued. It's as good a situation as we can get for this rescue."

Matt nodded to himself. "It's good to know we're not the only ones out there."

"Yeah, I guess. So you are coming to San Francisco, right?"

"I guess we might as well. We haven't got anywhere better to go."

"Then I'll see you in a while, Matt."

"See ya, Micah."

Matt flipped the phone closed, and looked at Daphne. Her head was cocked, obviously trying to figure out what was going on. Hiro and Ando had gathered around, Ando standing in front of him and Hiro occupying the now-empty seat on his other side.

"What was that about?" Hiro asked.

"We're going to have some more help with this rescue operation. Another teleporter is on her way with a few other people with powers."

"How do they know where we are?"

"Let's just say that Micah is a very resourceful little boy. He hacked into the security systems, and since he can talk to computers he could find us virtually anywhere anyway."

"Is that all?" Daphne asked.

"No. Apparently, there's a safe house in San Francisco for people with abilities. There's over a hundred people there, a rebellion against the government. It's getting to look more and more like this is going to be a full-out war."

"It's practically a war already! The government is already taking hostages."

"I know, and that's what scares me. Soon, it's going to be too late to turn back."

"Then I guess we'll just have to prepare," Ando said thoughtfully. "And while we do that, we might as well go to the safe house. We have no where else to go, and we might be able to rally some people to help us while we're there."

"Sounds like a plan," Hiro said. "Daphne? You're the only one who hasn't said anything about it. Do you think we should go?"

Daphne thought for a second, and then smiled. "Why not? I need to get away from the East Coast for a while anyway. I'm getting tired of seeing snow in the winter, and winter's right around the bend."

"Then it's a plan?"

Everyone nodded.

_Theresa Collins, Gabriel Gray, Olivia Baxter, & Randy Marshall_

_Washington, D.C._

"Olivia, are you sure Micah gave you the right directions?"

Olivia glanced, irritated, at the smart aleck that dared to question her. Randy, a pyrokenetic, was rubbing his neck as he looked around the subway station doubtfully. At least Theresa and Gabriel weren't criticizing her teleporting ability. Of course, nowadays the two were too lost in each other to notice much else.

Theresa had assigned herself to the crew because she thought her metal-controlling abilities would be useful when taking on the people in the building where they were keeping the prisoners. Wherever she went, Gabriel followed, so it was natural for him to be here. Plus, he was extremely powerful, so he wasn't in any way a liability. And though she knew Randy had been brought along for a reason, that didn't mean she had to like it. He was only here to burn the place after they left, and she didn't like that she would have to put up with him for the entire mission. But this was about more than just her, so she put aside her feelings for the sake of the people they would have to rescue.

She glanced around the station. Micah had described the group they were looking for as rag-tag, with a short blonde woman, a taller dark-haired man with a somewhat heavy figure, and then two oriental men. So far, she hadn't seen them, but it was only a matter of time.

Then she saw them. Three of them were sitting down on one of the benches, the third standing in front of them with his arms crossed. Two of the men were Japanese, one Caucasian, and one a young blonde woman. It was Matt Parkman's group, the people they were sent to help!

"Guys, I found them!" she said, pointing excitedly. Theresa nodded, and with her fingers just brushing Gabriel's as he took his place beside her, the Rebels made their way over to the group.

The tallest man, the one Micah had told them was Matt Parkman, stood up as they came near, putting himself in front of the blonde woman.

"Hello," Theresa said, putting on her most polite voice and holding out her hand. "We're friends of Micah. We're the ones sent to help you."

His eyes narrowed, and she felt a prodding at the back of her mind. Then she remembered what Micah had said. Matt was a telepath; he could read her mind, tell if she was lying or not. He seemed to relax slightly as he sensed the truth behind her words, and his eyes scanned the faces of the rest of her group. Then his eyes stopped on Gabriel.

First they widened, then they narrowed, then they were filled with fury. His voice was filled with poison as he spoke.

"Sylar."

_The President of the United States_

_The White House – Washington, D.C._

The President sat across the polished table from Redding, the plate of food in front of him untouched as he watched the other man. Hunter had insisted on personally telling him what made the younger Petrelli brother, the one with powers, so special. He didn't like having to wait, but Hunter seemed insistent.

"What's this all about, Redding?" he asked, picking up his fork and finally beginning to eat his dinner. "Why couldn't you tell me what you found over the phone?"

"Well, first of all we have recovered some new Primatech files while our men cleaned up the area. They're on people with powers, sir, and apparently there are more than we had originally thought. Plus, from the files, we found that there's a kid out there somewhere that can talk to computers and hack into any electrical system. Things this important should be discussed orally, where there's minimal chance of leakage."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now, about Petrelli?"

"Yes, about him. In the Primatech files, and from interrogations of former Primatech employees, we have found that the company was developing a serum used to give normal people abilities. The company had just perfected the formula before it was burned down. We had thought that there was no chance of recovering the formula."

"What are you getting at, Redding?"

"Well, when we ran some tests on Petrelli, we found an organic substance in his blood. When we drew some blood and ran some tests, we found that it was very similar to the formula described in the files. The tests came back, and apparently there are still traces of the formula in his bloodstream. Why? We don't know. But if we can isolate this substance from his blood, we can clone the formula, make large quantities of it. Do you know what this could mean?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," the President said, giving his eyes a slight roll. "But I'm sure you'll tell me."

"It could mean an army of superhumans. An entire army of people with abilities! Can't you imagine it, Mr. President? There'd be no more war, no more fighting and violence."

"Ah, but then why would we need an army if stopping the violence were that simple? Though I must admit, the idea of giving normal people abilities intrigues me."

"Do I have your permission to further develop this project then, Mr. President?"

"Yes."

Hunter Redding stood up, seeming extremely pleased. "Thank you, Mr. President. I have to return to base, there are some more tests to be done."

"Are you sure you won't stay for the caviar? It's really quite delectable."

Hunter smiled as he made his way to the door. "Not tonight, sir. But I'll keep you informed on how this develops."

"You do that."

The President watched his right-hand man leave. Though he had not shown great interest, the idea of an army made of people with powers intrigued him. It would be a definite way to win the wars of the future. He would brood over it long into the night.

_Matt Parkman, Gabriel Gray, & Company_

_Washington, D.C._

"Sylar." Matt's voice was cold as he stared into the eyes of the killer. This man had killed Molly's parents, almost killed Hiro and so many others. And he had been sent to _help_ them? Hah! The man was more likely coming to steal their powers, like always.

"I don't go by that name any more," Gabriel said, slipping his hand into Theresa's and squeezing it. "I'm not like I used to be."

"Right, and you didn't come here to kill us all."

"I didn't. I'm here to help you save the people who were kidnapped."

"Like I would believe that! Just leave us alone, and no one will get hurt."

"Read my mind, Matt. See if I'm lying about changing my ways."

Matt didn't bother to be gentle with his inspection of Gabriel's mind; he used all his force as he dug deep into the killer's thoughts. He saw Gabriel wince, and he was glad that he had at least caused him some discomfort. But he was startled to find none of the indicators that usually revealed a person to be lying. He pushed harder and tried again, but with the same result.

"You're telling the truth," he whispered, pulling out of Gabriel's mind and just staring at him. "You really have changed."

"Told you so," he said, smirking. "Now, since the eight of us are going to be working together from here on out, we might as well get acquainted."

Introductions didn't take long, and just as they had finished the subway pulled into its station. They climbed aboard, Matt using his ability to make the man collecting the fares think that they had already paid, and settled down into their seats, none of them able to sit still. The address of where the people with abilities were being held was only a five-minute ride away, but a lot could happen in five minutes.

-----

"Is this really the address?" Randy asked, peering up at the spotless white building. It looked like any old office building in this city, just well kept and very modern. The walls were white concrete; the large windows clean, the revolving doors spinning lazily. It looked so… normal. Not what you'd expect a torture chamber to look like.

"Yeah," Gabriel said, taking a step forward. He looked back at everyone else, meeting their gazes. "It's now or never, so if you're too chicken to go in you might as well head home." No one moved, something he was glad about. All eight would be needed in this mission, and if any one of them backed out now, who knew what would happen.

"Let's do this," Theresa said, rolling up the sleeves of her hoodie in preparation of a fight.

"Whoa, hold up there," Matt said, grabbing her arm as she began to storm toward the building. "We don't want to fight unless we have to. Let me see if I can use my telepathy to get us past the main lobby at least. Some of these people probably aren't involved in Project Armageddon, and I really don't want to hurt innocent people."

"I guess you're right…"

"Yeah, so let me at least try to use my power to get us away from the innocents. After we get down to the levels where there're guards trying to shoot us down, then you can go all-out."

Theresa grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"I kind of thought you would."

_Mohinder Suresh_

_Containment Building_

Mohinder winced as they drew yet another sample of his blood. By now, his arms were practically covered in scars from all the needles stuck into him. He was in pain from these tests everyday, yet the people doing this to him didn't give a second thought to what they were doing.

"That'll be all for today," one of the scientists said, storing the new blood sample in a cooler. "You can take him back to his cell."

Mohinder was roughly grabbed by the arms and hauled out of the lab, his feet scrabbling for a hold on the smooth tile floor. The light in the hallway was blinding, and he squinted against the bright fluorescent lights.

As he was dragged past doors on the way back to his cell, he couldn't help but sneak a peak into some of the rooms. Some of the doors were glass, so he could see right into the rooms with their doors closed; he saw someone checking an X-ray, a couple of scientists doing some kind of observation with a telescope, and in one he even saw a young girl having blood drawn from her arm. She had an ability, no doubt, because she looked scared.

When he passed one of the doors, however, his blood ran cold. Even in the two seconds he could see inside the room, he could take in everything. And it made him sick to his stomach.

He saw Peter Petrelli strapped to a gurney. And he was screaming. His back was arched, his mouth opened in a scream of agony, blue electricity dancing all over his body. He was being electrified before Mohinder's eyes; the Indian scientist could only guess how many volts the electricity could've been. Probably even worse than Elle's lightning, and that was truly saying something. Sure, he would heal later, but the pain he must've been experiencing was chilling to think about. But before he could notice anything else about the room, he was dragged onward toward his cell.

The first thing he noticed when he was back in the cell was that Claire wasn't pacing. For the past week, since they had first taken Peter away, she had been doing it nonstop. Now she was sitting on her cot, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow, almost like she was asleep. He wondered if he should tell her about Peter.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a soft voice, bringing him out of his thoughts. She was looking at him with those sea-foam-green eyes that stood out from her tan skin and blonde hair.

"Yes. Are you?"

She nodded. "I wonder sometimes."

"About what?"

"About why they aren't testing me like they test you. You're gone just about everyday, and I just sit here in this cell. It's strange."

"I don't know. Maybe they don't need to test your ability yet."

"Maybe…" She trailed off and pulled her knees up to her chin. "I just… really miss him."

Mohinder looked at her with pity. She had become a mess; she didn't take care of herself, her hair was beginning to mat, and she was skinnier. She looked like she was on the road to her grave.

"I saw him today," he admitted, deciding to tell her about Peter. She needed to know.

Her head shot up, and her eyes were wide. "Really? You saw him?" Her voice was excited; Mohinder felt guilty that he would have to crush that excitement. "Was he okay? Did he say anything?"

"Well, I only really caught a glimpse of him."

"Was he alright?"

"Well… not exactly." He didn't have the heart to tell her all the details, and when she prodded he shook her questions off. She didn't need to know that the love of her life was being tested like a lab rat.

-----

That night, when Mohinder was being led to the showers so he could wash up, he caught a glimpse of a computer screen as he passed. As he watched, the screen changed from displaying a strain of DNA to a black background, and lettering began to appear. When it was done, Mohinder could make out a message.

'HAVE HOPE,' the message said. 'HELP IS ON ITS WAY.'

He didn't question it. Anything that could give him even a thread of hope in this place was worth not questioning. And, though he didn't know if it was a hoax or untrue, he still had hope in it.

"Help is on its way," he whispered to himself as he lay down on his bunk that night.

**Me: Whew, mega-long chapter! Hope this makes up for not being able to update for a few days. Like I said, I had a ton of homework.**

**Peter: At least you're getting back on track with your schedule for writing.**

**Me: Oh yes! I just need a couple of good nights for writing, and I'll be all caught up. At least I got past the writer's block I've been having for a while! That's always a good thing, and I've got a ton planned for the next few chapters.**

**Please review! And until next time, toodles!**


	10. The Escape, Part 1: Prison Break

**Me: I am so happy!**

**Peter: Why, is testing season over?**

**Me: Um, well, not really. But I finally made my T-shirt in Technology Education. Yay!**

**Peter: What did you put on your T-shirt?**

**Me: Well, I put the Heroes logo on the front and some extra stuff on the back. But it looks awesome.**

**Peter: You're obsessive if you seriously made a Heroes shirt when you could do anything you wanted.**

**Me: Well, I wanted to do a Heroes shirt. So I did.**

**Peter: Can we say completely obsessed?**

**Me: *hits him over the head***

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes. But I do own the concept of the Rebellion, and any unfamiliar characters. Yay for me!**

_Matt Parkman, Gabriel Gray, & Company_

_Containment Building_

Matt looked around nervously as they entered through the doors. So far, no one had seemed to take any particular interest in them, though eight people with worn clothes in a place like this would by noticed eventually. They would have to act fast.

"So, where do we start?" Ando asked. Matt glanced at him, and touched him on the shoulder, feeling his power enhance. He listened for the thoughts of any people with abilities, any familiar voices at the very most.

"I'll try to find out where they're keeping the prisoners," he murmured, pushing aside the thoughts of the normal businessmen. "The thoughts of people with abilities are different from powerless people. After I find a thought from one, I should be able to hone in on it and find the precise location."

Olivia whistled. "For a simple telepath, it's impressive that you can do all that."

"Normally I can't. But with Ando's amplifying ability, I can do a lot of things that I can't do without him."

Theresa sniffed the air and then wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, this place is horrible. There's practically no metal here." When Daphne threw her an 'is this girl crazy?' look, she explained, "I have the ability to control metal. If we run into a sticky situation here, I could use the metal in the foundations to our advantage. But with concrete, I can't do a thing."

Matt, meanwhile, had finally found the voice he was looking for. It was muted, as if far away, but it was still there.

"I can hear someone," he said, pushing his ability further to hone in on the location. "It's Mohinder."

"Dr. Suresh?" Hiro asked. "Can you really hear him?"

"Yeah." Matt opened his eyes, having found his location. "He's three levels underground. Come on, we have to find an elevator."

Gabriel looked over his shoulder. Like always, he had walked into the building with an observant eye, and had spotted the elevator right away. "Over there," he said, motioning to it with a nod of his head. Matt nodded to him in thanks and walked toward it, the others following.

"Since we're not all going to fit, Hiro and I can take someone with us on the way down," Olivia offered.

"Daphne, Randy, do you two want to go with them?"

Daphne shrugged, and Randy immediately walked over to Olivia, putting a hand on her shoulder. Daphne did the same with Hiro, and the four were gone in an instant. The other four packed into the elevator, Gabriel disabling the security camera with his telekinesis. Security was going to be tight; he could tell just by the camera here. They weren't taking any chances with this operation being exposed.

There was a small _bing_ a few seconds later, and when the doors opened Olivia, Hiro, Randy, and Daphne were standing there. Randy was leaning against the wall, his expression bored. Behind him, two guards were slumped against the wall, unconscious.

"Come on, we have to go," Olivia said, motioning toward a door. "It won't be long before someone finds these two, and our cover will be blown."

"I offered to burn them to a pile of ashes, but these three thought it was too morbid," Randy said with mock sadness.

"Well, we'll split into pairs then. Hiro, you go with Ando. Randy, you can get along with Olivia for the extent of the mission, right? Matt and Daphne, you two can go together. I'll go with Gabriel. Is everyone all right with those pairings?" When everyone nodded, she rubbed her hands together. "All right then, people. All we need to do is get the prisoners out of here, get ourselves out of here, and then we're done. Did I leave anything out?"

"Don't get caught," Randy said.

"Right, what he said. Anything else?" When no one said anything, she continued. "Okay, then. Let's roll, peeps."

_Hunter Redding_

_Containment Building_

Hunter smugly took a sip of his espresso, his feet propped up on the desk in front of him. This was going so smooth, no flaws. The President was satisfied, so that was a huge bonus. Plus, funding was higher than ever. It couldn't get any better.

He glanced at the huge screen to his right, where feed from all forty security cameras in the compound was displayed. He saw the insides of the containment cells, the hallways, the labs, everything… it made him feel powerful, like a god. Like he had control over everything and everyone.

He noticed that one of the screens displaying feed from the camera in the elevator was blank. _Probably just a glitch_, he thought, taking another swig of coffee. No one would even think of trying to mess up this operation. It was so secret anyway, hardly anyone knew about it.

He saw movement on another camera, and his eyes flicked to it. It was the camera feed from inside the cell shared by the Bennet girl and Mohinder Suresh. Claire was pacing back and forth, her brow furrowed in thought. Her lips were moving, and occasionally Mohinder's would move too. That was the only disadvantage with these cameras – he couldn't hear what they were saying, and he wasn't much of a lip-reader.

On another camera, two men were walking down a hall. Both were Japanese, and they were in worn street clothes. Hunter sat up and zoomed in the camera. But as he did so, one of the men touched the other and they were gone. Just like that.

Teleporters… Hunter thought as his eyes scanned the other cameras. Now that he paid closer attention, he could see many unfamiliar faces flitting through the halls.

He grabbed a walkie-talkie off his desk as he ran for the door. "All guards down to Level Three. We've got intruders!"

_Olivia Baxter & Randy Marshall_

_Containment Building_

Olivia glanced around the corner. Nothing. It was like they hadn't noticed that they were being invaded yet. Not that she was complaining. She liked the idea that she wouldn't have to fight.

"Do you know where the nearest cell is?" she asked Randy. His hands glowed red, on the verge of breaking out in flame.

"From the plans I saw on the way in, it should be three doors to the left." He pressed a hand against the wall, melting a small keypad. No one would be able to follow them into the hall.

Olivia nodded. "I'm going to go there and get the prisoners out. Can you make it to the labs on your own?"

Randy snickered. "Come on, Ol. Do you really think I'm that helpless?"

"I'm going to take that as a yes. Take care of yourself, Randy."

"Same to you, Ol."

The two split up, Olivia heading to the cells where she would find the prisoners, Randy to the labs where he would destroy the files containing information about people with abilities.

_Theresa Collins & Gabriel Gray_

_Containment Building_

Theresa felt inside the concrete walls for the metal locks. She could feel the metal, and she twisted it, unlocking the thick door. With a satisfying click, Gabriel opened the door to reveal a small cell with a cot pushed up against the east wall. A young girl was curled up on the cot, her eyes fearfully peering over her knees at the two silhouettes in the doorway.

"Poor kid," Theresa murmured as she entered the room, going over to the fearful girl on the cot. "We're here to save you, okay?"

The girl looked up at her with startling blue eyes. They were filled with relief. "My name's Jenny."

"My name's Theresa. And this is Gabriel. Come on; let's get you to Hiro or Olivia. They'll get you out of here in no time."

The girl gratefully took Theresa's hand as the two hurriedly left the room. Jenny looked like she was only about eight years old; Theresa was furious that people could kidnap children this young and treat them like animals.

_I'll make them pay_, she thought. _I'm going to make them pay for everything…_

_Matt Parkman & Daphne Millbrook_

_Containment Building_

Matt glanced around. He tried the lock again, but with no success. He needed the code to get into the cells… and the only way to find it was to read the thoughts of one of the soldiers that worked here. But first he needed to find one.

He thought it was fairly ironic that he was looking for a soldier when he was an intruder and a target. No doubt they would shoot to kill if it came to a confrontation. Still, he needed to help as many people as he could, and that meant that he needed to get to them first.

He felt around the compound with his ability, and he felt the minds of three soldiers directly above him. He dug deeper into the mind of one of them and found the code; as he was reading it from the man's mind, Daphne was punching it in. The red light above the keypad turned green, and there was a click as the door slightly opened. Matt retracted from the soldier's mind and entered the cell, Daphne right behind him.

It was dim and shadowy, the light in the corner almost burnt out. Matt's pupils dilated as he peered through the darkness. He could make out two forms, one sitting on a cot and one standing in the middle of the room, wearing a sneer. That sneer faltered as its wearer took a closer look at him.

"Matt?" He recognized that voice; it was Claire Bennet.

"Yeah, Claire. It's me." Matt nodded over to who he knew was Mohinder. It was his mind that had led him there, after all.

"Matt, what are you doing here?!" Claire practically tackled him in a hug; he was the first person she'd seen that wasn't a soldier in a long time. She liked him, too, because he was caring and kind. She had been a close friend since the incident in New York.

"Busting you out. Come on you two, we have to get you out quick. Hiro and another teleporter are here, and all the prisoners are being freed as we speak."

Claire looked up at him, her sea-foam green eyes filled with relief, yet regret. "I won't be able to go. I can't leave without Peter."

"Do you know where he is?"

Claire shook her head, but Mohinder cleared his throat. His voice was raspy as he spoke, like he hadn't had a drink in a long time. He probably hadn't. "I know where he is. Or at least what area of the building he's in."

"Then let's go. No one's getting left behind tonight."

Claire looked at him gratefully and followed Mohinder as he ran out of the cell. Matt and Daphne followed them at a brisk jog as Mohinder led them towards the eastern part of the compound. They passed plenty of labs and such, and finally Mohinder stopped in front of a lab with a thick glass door. The blinds on the other side of the glass were closed, so they couldn't see inside, but when Matt reached out with his telepathy he felt a presence on the other side.

"He's definitely in there," he said.

Mohinder didn't hesitate; using every ounce of his super strength, he punched the glass, sending shards flying everywhere. He ripped his fist away from the remaining glass, ignoring the scratches on his arm, and did it again. Soon, the entire door was busted in, and the four people hurried into the lab.

The first thing they noticed was the scent. It smelled like a hospital, clean and antiseptic. Then they saw his figure lying on a gurney, hooked up to a heart monitor that beeped at a slow pace. There was a tube up his nose, and his hair was cut short.

"Peter!" Claire cried, running to his side and ripping the tube from his nose. It was obviously a kind of gaseous drug, because the monitor changed pace as the drug's source was removed. "What are they doing to him?"

"Testing him, I think." Mohinder unhooked the heart monitor and slid Peter off the gurney. "For what, I'm not sure. But I saw him being tested before, and he was being pushed to his limits. I wouldn't be surprised if they were keeping him in a coma so he could heal."

Claire looked at him worriedly, and took him from Mohinder. She was sitting on the floor, Peter's head cradled in her lap. She kissed him on the forehead.

"We have to hurry up," Matt said, peering out of the room. So far there was no sign of soldiers, but it was only a matter of time. "Nathan's soldiers will be here soon. See if you can wake Peter up."

"Wait, Mohinder, get a needle," Claire said. "He might not be able to use his ability like this, but an injection of my blood will heal him, and hopefully wake him up."

"It could work." Mohinder threw the equipment off the tables behind him, searching for a needle. He found one; it was large, but it would work.

"Do it." Claire held out her arm, and Mohinder drew out a small amount of blood. He then injected it into Peter. There were several moments of tense silence, and then Peter's eyes flickered open, and he coughed up some blood.

"Claire?" His eyes were unfocused, but he could see her light blonde hair. He would recognize that hair anywhere.

"Oh Peter." She kissed him long and hard on the lips, not caring if it was in front of the others. "I thought I would never see you again."

"Same here." Peter pushed himself into a sitting position, glancing around him. "I never thought I'd get off that gurney."

"Not to be rude, be we need to get out of here," Matt said, glancing over his shoulder at them. "We only have so much time before they come to stop us."

"Matt? How…?"

"He broke us out, Peter. There's a whole prison break going on now. Everyone here is going to be freed." Claire helped him stand up, and together the five left the room.

Peter sighed with relief. "At least someone's finally decided to stand against the government." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding it as his face took on an expression of concentration. After a second and nothing happening, he reopened his eyes and let out a sigh. "I can't use my powers. They must've drugged me."

"I wonder why Claire's blood healed you if you can't use powers," Mohinder pondered.

Peter shrugged. "So, how are we going to get out of here?"

"We have Hiro and another teleporter. They're going to get everyone out of here. We're going to have to find one of them to get us out of here."

"Leave me here."

"What?" Claire sounded scared; she had reason to be. The love of her life, her guardian angel, was asking to be left behind in one of the worse places on Earth.

"Look, someone needs to blow this place up after everyone leaves. I still have Ted's radioactive powers, and I can probably confine the explosion just to the building. Everything needs to be destroyed, every trace of it. Anyway, Claire, I have your regenerative powers and Hiro's teleportation. I'll be able to survive the explosion and find you as soon as I finish my job here."

"I don't want you to leave," she whispered, grabbing his arm. "I just got you back."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Your job won't be as hard," Matt commented. "We have a pyrokenetic going around destroying the files on people with abilities. Half the labs are probably in flame by now."

Peter nodded. "Good." He turned to Claire and caressed her cheek, his eyes boring into hers. Then he leaned in and kissed her, his lips firm against hers. His kiss was sweet but full of passion, and her head tilted as she became absorbed in his lips. She didn't want it to end, but eventually they broke apart.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he whispered back, kissing her once on the forehead before breaking away from the group, moving at a brisk walk. "Matt, send me a thought when all the rebels are out of the building. That way I don't injure anyone on our side."

Matt nodded. "I'll make sure I'm one of the last to leave."

"Okay. And take care of Claire for me."

"I will."

With a final nod and smile, Peter went off on his own into the maze of hallways. He didn't know if the drugs would wear off soon, but he didn't care. He had a mission, and he would succeed. By whatever means necessary.

**Me: Okay, so that took forever to write. Ugh, I got writer's block halfway through it. But I would like to thank Three Days Grace for their song "Riot", which gave me inspiration. If you've never heard that song, look it up on youtube. Great song.**

**Peter: You've only been singing it for the last four hours. I'm getting a headache.**

**Me: It's so catchy, though. I mean, come on, there's a great guitar solo in it too.**

**Peter: Mm-hmm, that's why you just keep repeating the main verse. You don't know all the words, do you?**

**Me: So what if I don't?**

**Peter: Maybe you should look up the lyrics. I'm getting tired of being forced to listen to you sing the main verse over and over and over.**

**Me: *glare***

**Okay, so I got major writer's block about halfway through writing this. Hope you aren't mad at me!**

**As always, reviews are greatly appreciated and wanted.**


	11. The Escape, Part 2: Bomb

**More people are reviewing! Thanks so much guys, it really means a lot to me, and you're the ones who keep this story going. I didn't feel like writing a big A/N at the beginning today, so here's the story and I hope you enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes**.

**CLAIMER: I own Theresa and any unfamiliar characters.**

_Peter Petrelli_

_Containment Building_

Peter pressed himself up against the wall, feeling the thick concrete grant him entrance as he used his phasing ability. Once he was on the other side of the wall, he flicked his hands, and the computer screens in Command Central turned on. It was time to get to work.

He rummaged through the drawers of the computer desks, smirking at how stupid the commanders were to leave their center of operations unguarded. They should've known better. It was their own fault they were going to have to risk being fried by a radioactive bomb.

Finding what he wanted, Peter hooked the small webcam up to the computer and used Micah's ability to hack into the computer and speaker grids. Now, he just had to wait for Matt's message that all of the prisoners were safely out of the building.

He didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes later, Peter felt the presence enter his mind. '_We're all ready to go_,' Matt thought to him. '_You'll want to meet up with us in San Francisco._'

'_Got it.'_

'_And Peter?'_

'_Yeah?'_

'_Claire says to stay safe.'_

Peter smiled. _'Tell her I will. Now go. I have some last minute preparations before I turn this place into a nuclear site.'_

Matt's presence left his mind, and he flipped on the webcam. His face could be seen in every computer in the building, and his voice could be heard on every speaker. There would be no way for any of the soldiers here to miss him.

"In exactly five minutes, a nuclear bomb is going to explode in the third underground floor. Get out now. This isn't a drill, this isn't a threat. This is reality. If you want to live, I suggest you leave as soon as possible. Five minutes to get out, starting now." Peter flipped off the switch and leaning back in the chair, satisfied that he'd warned the people in the building. There was no reason for them not to listen to him, and hopefully innocent people's lives could be saved. He didn't want to kill; he just wanted to get rid of this operation, destroy its roots. It was like a tree; it could branch out as much as it wanted, but once you got rid of its roots, its base, it died. That was what he was aiming for.

He glanced up at the clock. He'd only said that there would be five minutes to get out because he wanted to evacuate the building as soon as possible; he would probably wait closer to fifteen. All he had to do was sit in the chair and wait until the time was right and everyone was safely outside the building. Then he would make himself explode.

_Hunter Redding_

_Containment Building_

Hunter cocked his gun as he and his squad neared Command Central. It was stupid of him to just abandon his post; now every file and piece of information Project Armageddon was built off of was in the hands of the younger Petrelli brother. It was a nightmare turned reality.

To make it worse, the drugs that had been used on Peter had worn off. He was able to use his powers to the full extent, and that made him dangerous. The only things that could take him out were stun guns or a bullet to the back of his skull. But they didn't want to kill him - he was too valuable - so they decided to try to stun him. It was the only option left.

Hunter saw the large glass doors of Command Central at the end of the hall, and he sprinted toward them, not caring to conceal himself. Peter already knew they were there; no doubt he was reading their minds right then. The doors were locked, and as he shook them, he saw Peter smugly swivel to face him in the chair at the main desk. His smile was crooked and mocking, and he gave a false salute. He was playing with them.

'_Leave now.'_ The voice rang in his head as if echoing in his mind. It was Peter's voice, but different, layered with something he couldn't describe. And the strangest thing was that he wanted to obey.

'_No.'_ He grappled with the urge to obey that command, to just leave the premises.

'_You're going to call off your squad and head to the plaza outside the building.'_ The voice had changed yet again; it was thickly layered with something close to extreme persuasion. Suddenly, Hunter could no longer resist.

"Come on, men. We have to leave. Get out to the plaza as fast as you can." Hunter began running for the elevator, placing his gun back into its holster. His squad followed him, but they were clearly confused.

'_Good boy. Now, wait in the plaza. Don't come back in, don't ask any questions.'_

Hunter's conscious mind was screaming at his body to stop moving toward the elevator, to go back and rip the doors off their hinges and take Petrelli out, but his legs and arms seemed to move by themselves. He was Petrelli's puppet, unable to operate his own body.

He remembered what he had read in Matt Parkman's file once. When a telepath used his powers, his senses became raw nerves. Extra stimuli, such as lights and sounds, would agitate the senses and cause him to lose concentration. He wished that he had remembered that when confronting Peter; he was obviously using the telepathy he had gained from Matt to control Hunter.

Hunter fought against Peter's control with everything he had, but Peter was just too strong. Hunter had never felt so helpless before; he could see through his own eyes, but the words out of his lips and his movements were not his own. He was nothing more than an empty vessel, manipulated by an outside source.

Four minutes later, he and his squad were standing on the opposite side of the plaza, staring at the clean building.

'_You might as well make yourself useful,'_ Peter's voice said. _'Evacuate citizens from the plaza. They won't want to see what happens next.'_

'_And what happens next?'_ Hunter ground out in his mind as his physical body began to follow Peter's orders.

'_You'll just have to find out.'_

_Claire Bennet & Gabriel Gray_

_San Francisco_

As soon as they arrived at the rebel base, Theresa began to give out orders. Naturally, Claire and Mohinder had been wary of Gabriel, and it had taken some convincing on Matt's part to get them to trust him. So far, he had done nothing to make himself untrustworthy. After all, he was at as much risk as the other people with abilities if the government decided to go after them. There was no reason for him to be on the other side when his own freedom depended on it.

"What, so you randomly decided to go good after being bad so long?" Claire asked him as he helped her find her assigned bunk. She would be sharing with a Rebel named Sierra; the two girls were near the same age, so the match seemed perfect. Claire was willing to try it out, so it had been settled that she would share quarters with Sierra.

"I didn't just turn good overnight, Claire," Gabriel said gently. "It was a long process, but eventually I was able to control my hunger long enough for me to feel remorse for my actions. That's the first time I felt the change. Then I decided that I could control my hunger, turn good again after so many years of being evil and a killer. I wanted to help people, to protect them from monsters like what I used to be."

"Is that why you joined the Rebels? Because you wanted to help people?"

"I joined the Rebels because I was invited. And I saw potential in them. Their cause is great, and it affects so many people on so many different levels. This is a war now, Claire. It started when those government idiots took you and the others hostage. They've gone too far."

"Is it really a war, Sylar?"

"Yes, and don't call me Sylar anymore. That name was the name of a killer. Call me Gabriel."

"Fine, _Gabriel_. So you really think this will come to fighting?"

"Definitely. The government wants the ones responsible for breaking you out to be punished. They want you back. All of you, everyone that escaped. And they won't stop until they get what they want." He glanced at her as he spoke. "You're going to have to prepare. If you want some advice, learn how to fight. And I mean serious fighting."

Claire nodded and sunk onto her bunk. It was the softest thing she'd felt in a long time, ever since she'd been kidnapped. She became lost in the bliss.

Gabriel quietly left, closing the door behind him as he made his way to his own room. It was a shame that people as kind-hearted as Claire had to learn to fight like a true warrior, but it was necessary. Every fighter, every gifted person, was needed to fight this war.

He sighed and looked around. Every Rebel in the base was on edge, as if believing the war would come knocking on the doorstep any second. He knew better. He knew this war would be drawn out, that it would take its good old time developing. It wouldn't be the slap in the face that many were expecting it to be; it would be organized, planned, thought through carefully.

They needed to be prepared for what the future held.

_Peter Petrelli_

_Containment Building_

Another sweep through the building with his telepathy told him the same thing: there was no one left in the building. It was empty, void of human life. Just like he had planned.

Calmly, Peter thought back to the time he had absorbed Ted's radioactive ability. He thought of the fear he had felt, the anger at Ted for making him a living bomb, the pain as he looked in Claire's eyes and knew she was afraid of him, for him. When he opened his eyes, his hands were glowing red, a strange yellowish aura around his skin. It was starting. He could feel the heat, but he knew now that he could control it.

He made sure that the explosion wasn't going to take out the entire city by reducing the amount of radiation. He just wanted to demolish the building, so he would have to make the explosion relatively small, but still large enough to take out every part of the building. It was crucial that no trace of it be left behind, that none of the old files could be recovered.

He took a deep breath and let the radiation start to do its work. Then, with a pained yell, Peter exploded.

_Hunter Redding_

_Washington, D.C._

Hunter watched helplessly at the edge of the plaza as the building exploded. It would've fit right in to any action or adventure film; debris went flying up into the sky, and a cloud of thick smoke erupted from the burning mass. But, amazingly, the explosion didn't affect the surrounding buildings. Only the Containment Building was completely destroyed, the others completely intact and not burning, untouched by the flames that ravenously ate the burning building.

_Petrelli wasn't kidding about a nuclear bomb_, he thought as he saw firemen racing in with hoses at the ready. He knew that there had once been a man named Ted who had been radioactive, but the murderer Sylar had killed him long ago. Had Peter met him and absorbed his power before he had been killed?

As Hunter watched the flames beginning to be brought under control, he found himself asking more questions and getting fewer answers. He was a man who strived for intelligence and took pride in the amount of knowledge he possessed.

He felt something vibrating in his pocket, and he realized it was his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Redding, you'd better tell me in five seconds why there's a trail of black smoke coming from the headquarters of Project Armageddon." The voice was angry, and Hunter paled as he realized whom he was talking to.

"Uh… well… it's complicated, Mr. President."

"Meet me in the Oval Office in half an hour. I want a full report, nothing less. I want to know everything."

"Will do, Mr. President."

The President's end of the line went dead, and Hunter nervously slipped the cell phone back into his pocket. It wasn't a good thing when the President was mad, especially not when that madness was directed at him. He was nervous about his meeting with him.

Straightening his shirt and smoothing his hair back, Hunter made his way toward the White House, fighting the crowds of people who had come to see what was going on.

He was not looking forward to having to explain all of this to the most powerful man in the country.

**Okay, so there's chapter #11. Hope you enjoyed it; chapter 12 will hopefully be up soon.**

**Don't forget to review!!**


	12. Author's Note

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time. And I'm also sorry that this isn't the update you've been waiting over a month for.**

**Lately, my life has been getting pretty hectic. Between archery, horseback riding, school, and more state testing, I don't have as much free time as I used to. That, combined with the fact that hardly anyone reviewed on this story, has convinced me to officially put this story on hold. I would like to apologize for any inconvience, and I'm really sorry about it. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick it up again when my life settles down a little, though that might not be until the summer. Again, I'm really sorry.**

**If you have any questions or comments, PM me.**


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